


The Sea Captain's House - Part 2

by Beautyinthemoonlight



Series: The Sea Captain's House [2]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-11
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-08-30 11:14:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 47
Words: 275,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8530861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beautyinthemoonlight/pseuds/Beautyinthemoonlight
Summary: Ali Krieger is a successful sales rep on the North Shore of Boston and Ashlyn Harris is the starting goalkeeper for the Boston Breakers.  They spent almost a year working their way to each other and are finally in the honeymoon stage of their new relationship.  As they help their friends and family go through engagements and weddings and kids can their own be far behind?  Or will Ali's previous relationship trouble cause problems for the happy couple?





	1. Real Life?

**Author's Note:**

> This story picks up right where Part 1 left off. It's the end of February 2016 and the ladies have just become a couple. This will cover approximately another year in the story and we'll see how they learn to be a couple and deal with the things life throws at them and their friends and family.  
> Part 3 of the story will move forward with bigger events for our ladies (engagement, wedding, kids). I didn't want to just skip ahead to that without looking in on them during this romantic and challenging stage that comes in between. 
> 
> If you want a refresher on the house layout it's in Chapter 1 of Part 1.

The last two weeks in February weren’t quite as exciting as Valentine’s week, but the new couple fell into a sort of a rhythm. They knew they were both incredibly lucky to have this new relationship time happen for them during their “off time” for their respective jobs. 

Ashlyn was rehabbing her shoulder and getting back into shape after taking the month of January off as she recovered from the surgery. Training camp was starting on March 14th and she knew she wouldn’t be anywhere near full strength by then. The goal was for her to be ready to start at the beginning of the season on April 16th. She would play as much as possible during preseason but they would take it slowly and not push her too hard. She had planned to go to Satellite Beach for a couple of weeks before training camp started. But that was before the love of her life told her she loved her too. That changed everything. Now it was hard for Ashlyn to be apart from her for more than a day. The honeymoon phase they were in was magical and the keeper was struggling with her decision about going to Florida. Ashlyn used her exercise equipment at home and started the painful workouts to get back into shape. After her rehab appointments she would go to The Breakers facility for her conditioning workouts just to change things up. 

On the other hand, Ali knew it was time for her to buckle down and get back to work. She had really slacked off during January. It wasn’t too big a deal because January and February were easily the two quietest months all year for her. But part of the reason she was so successful was her dedication to her job, even during the quiet times. The phone calls she made in January and February helped to set the stage for the jobs she would get later in the Spring and Summer. There were always phone calls to make. Always. And she had excelled at this for four years without distraction. But now everything was different. Ali’s self-discipline was tested as never before. And it was losing. And, as much of a hard-working professional as she was, she was ok with that for the time being. Part of her success, she knew, had always been that she knew when she was maxed out. Sometimes in the heart of her busiest season she would take an afternoon off and read a book or play a video game for a few hours. Then she would go back to her desk and work with a refreshed attitude. That was how she kept her stress levels low during those incredibly busy times. It went against a lot of what she stood for and believed in but it worked. She wasn’t an actress so if she was in a bad mood or stressed out her customer over the phone or in person would know. Taking control and being smart about down time was a different type of self-discipline in a way. 

Tuesdays and Fridays had been the easiest for them to start getting back to reality because Ashlyn still had her rehab appointments in the morning. The keeper had started driving herself so it was a good pry-bar to separate the happy couple. Neither of them was any good at getting out of a bed if the other was still in it, so they ended up sleeping in more than usual and getting up at the same time. If they were good, one of them would go down and make breakfast while the other showered. If they were bad, they would shower together and the whole morning would be gone by the time they made it downstairs. Ali found that the only way she had a real chance to focus on work was to leave the house. She hit the road and went to whatever appointments she had made for the day. She made sure not to schedule any early morning appointments unless she absolutely had to. Or she would go back to her own house and work from there for several hours. By late-afternoon she would return to Ashlyn’s house and be finished for the day unless an important phone call came in. Eventually, she trusted, she would be able to go someplace else in whichever house they were in and focus on her job even with Ashlyn there too. But in February? No way. Their relationship was too new and exciting and intoxicating and she couldn’t resist the powerful pull of the blonde. 

They got better about wearing clothes when they were together and even leaving the house occasionally when they weren’t working. They made plans with Sydney and Dom and also Kristie and her boyfriend. They were both mindful of their other long-standing engagements. Ali hung out with Sydney on Wednesday evenings and slept in her own house. Ashlyn used that time to catch up with her family and friends. She had started her letter-writing campaign for Meg too, as soon as she could write again at the end of January. She wrote her a letter every week and would try to facetime with her as well. Ali went to her Dad’s house at some point every weekend. Sometimes she brought the blonde and sometimes she went by herself. They were trying very hard not to be that annoying couple that couldn’t go anywhere without the other. They weren’t teenagers and this wasn’t their first rodeo, but they both knew this was special and stronger than anything else had ever been.

At the same time, they both knew that this quiet time in their schedules was precious and they wanted to take advantage of it. It was a delicate balance of wanting to do the mature, responsible thing while at the same time capitalizing on schedule synchronicity.

“You should go babe” Ali said as she settled into the corner of the sectional couch in Ashlyn’s living room with a bowl of popcorn in her lap. They were still working their way through the Hitchcock collection, tonight’s feature was ‘The Birds’. Ashlyn was intrigued by what Gram had said about it back at Christmastime and she wanted to be able to talk with her about it.

Ashlyn slid the disc into her PS4, grabbed the remote and crawled in next to Ali on the couch. “I know, but I don’t want to leave you” she whined and rested her head on the brunette’s shoulder.

Ali kissed the top of her head and patted her thigh. “I don’t want you to go either, but you should go. You have your tattoo appointment and you’re going to spend the weekend with Whitney too. That’ll be awesome. Don’t change your plans any more Ash. I feel guilty enough already.”

Ashlyn had changed her two week vacation to Satellite Beach with a stop in North Carolina to see Whitney and Ryan into a one week vacation instead. She would still stop for a weekend in North Carolina on her way down. 

“You have nothing to feel guilty about” Ashlyn lifted her head up and kissed the brunette on the cheek sweetly. Ali turned her head and they rested their foreheads together for a few minutes, happy to be breathing in the same air. “You’ve been so good about all of this Al. If it was me I’d be begging you not to go and making a complete ass out of myself. Thank you for not making it difficult.” The blonde brought their lips together softly.

“Yep. That’s me. Making it easy for my girlfriend to leave me.” Ali rolled her eyes and dropped her head back onto the couch dramatically.

Ashlyn leaned forward and kissed the brunette’s exposed neck, nibbling up towards her ear.

“First of all, that’s crazy talk woman!” she pecked Ali’s lips when she lifted her head up again. “It’s almost impossible for me to leave you. I can’t get enough of you baby.” Ashlyn grinned. “And second of all, I love when you call me your girlfriend” she said quietly and gave the brunette a slow, meaningful kiss.

//

Mrs. Riley sat at the small kitchen table drinking tea with Ashlyn. It was late morning, Friday. Ashlyn was flying to North Carolina early the next morning. This was the last loose end she wanted to get taken care of that week before she left. She had already met with her builder, George, about the basement gym. His guys would be coming in two weeks to do the work and it would only take them a week to complete it. She had selected the interior paint colors for the rest of the rooms and his painting crew would be in the house next week, while Ashlyn was away, to get that done.

“So what do you think?” Ashlyn asked the old woman. The blonde had just walked her through the house, showing her the changes and updates.

Mrs. Riley set her tea cup down and looked around the kitchen. The kitchen was the room that Ashlyn had completely re-done. Everything in it was different and new except for the big, two-sided fireplace and the table they were sitting at. 

“Well I don’t know why you had to change the kitchen but that’s not my business, is it?” she said cautiously. 

She was a typical old yankee New Englander. Just like Ashlyn’s Grandmother Lilian had been. A New England yankee was hard-working, resilient, resourceful, practical, pious, frugal, tight-lipped, tough as nails and honest to a fault. Grandmother Lilian used to tell them stories about her own mother. She said ‘if you cut your arm off and carried it to her and asked her for help, she’d yell at you for getting blood on the floor’. That was a true yankee response, exaggerated of course. They would help you if you needed it, which was ironic, because a true yankee would never ever ask for help. The trick was they just helped each other without having to be asked. Another great example of Grandmother Lilian’s yankee mindset was how she made all of the arrangements for her own funeral and estate before she died. It was the practical thing to do. 

Ashlyn estimated Mrs. Riley was in her late sixties but it was hard to tell. She was very strong and active and able-bodied. She was born and had spent her entire life in the Gloucester area. She had known Lilian for many many years. They attended the same church in town and became friendly through the various groups that organized church events. Mrs. Riley had worked for Lilian for three years before she died. It had started as a straight up cleaning job that entailed dusting and vacuuming every inch of the house and cleaning the bathrooms and kitchen. But it had gradually morphed into all of that plus some laundry, grocery shopping and other light chores that Lilian couldn’t manage very easily on her own any longer. Ashlyn wanted her to go back to just doing the basic cleaning chores for her and coming in twice a week to do it. They had talked about it as they did their walk-through. Ashlyn was just waiting for her answer.

“No, I’d like to know what you think. That’s why I asked” Ashlyn replied sincerely.

“I don’t like the kitchen but I don’t have to cook in it so it doesn’t matter much” the old woman chuckled. “Everything else I think looks good. I’ll like the air conditioning in the summer.” She pursed her lips and looked at Ashlyn carefully. “I’ll come Monday and Thursday mornings. When do you want me to start?”

Just then they heard the side door open and close and Ali entered the kitchen from the mudroom calling Ashlyn’s name. She stopped when she saw the two women sitting at the kitchen table.

“Oh I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company. Don’t mind me” she said cheerfully as she put some grocery bags down on the counter and started putting things away as quietly as she could.

Mrs. Riley quirked an eyebrow at Ashlyn.

“I’m sorry, I forget you haven’t met” the blonde said to her guest. “Can you come here for a minute hon?” she asked the brunette.

Ali turned, smiled at the nickname, and walked over to the table. She put her arm around Ashlyn’s shoulder as the keeper put her arm around the brunette’s waist.

“Hi, I’m Ali” she introduced herself, extending her hand across the table with a smile.

“Mrs. Riley” the old woman answered and met her with a firm handshake.

“It’s nice to meet you. Ashlyn’s told me what a great help you were to her Grandmother.”

“She’s just agreed to come back and help me out with the cleaning, isn’t that great?” the keeper smiled up at Ali.

“Oh” the brunette said, surprised. “Sure, that sounds great.”

Mrs. Riley was squinting at them as she drank more of her tea. It had never occurred to Ashlyn that she might have a problem with the ‘gay thing’. It had never been an issue before in any of her interactions with the woman. But the keeper wanted to be very sure. She wasn’t going to have someone in her house that wouldn’t be supportive or, at least, not problematic. Ashlyn patted Ali’s waist to let her know she could go and the brunette smiled again and went back to the groceries.

“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable or put you on the spot or anything Mrs. Riley, but I want to make sure we’re clear on something before we finalize our arrangement.” Ashlyn paused for a moment to give the old woman a chance to say something so she didn’t have to. But Mrs. Riley just put her tea cup down and looked at her expectantly. Ashlyn continued in a steady voice. “I’m gay and Ali is my girlfriend and if that’s going to be a problem for you then we should talk about it now and get it figured out.”

“I’ve known about you for years. If I had a problem with it I wouldn’t be sitting here, now would I?” Her smile was small and thin but it was a smile. Ashlyn was pretty sure it was the only smile she had and tried not to read anything else into it. “Was that it?” she asked as she had another sip of tea and watched the keeper’s face.

“No, that’s it. I just want to make sure it’s not going to be a problem and it sounds like it won’t be. So we’re good” Ashlyn said and smiled kindly at the woman. “You can start the first week of March.”

//

Later that evening, after spending the afternoon running errands, doing laundry and packing for her trip, Ashlyn held Ali as she recovered from her second orgasm of the night. Ali had taken the afternoon off to spend some time with Ashlyn before losing her for ten days to Whitney and Florida. She was frustrated to learn that the keeper hadn’t packed or done laundry yet for her trip. The brunette tried not to show her disappointment as she kept herself busy by cleaning the house. It wasn’t how she had planned to spend the afternoon, but she knew it would help the blonde and it allowed her to be around in case Ashlyn got finished early. But Ashlyn didn’t get finished early. Ali went from frustrated to aggravated as she worked in the kitchen preparing the special dinner she had gone grocery shopping for earlier in the day. It was one of Ashlyn’s favorites, a sautéed chicken and asparagus dish that was hard to make. But the brunette had wanted their night to be special and to give her girl a good send-off. She also was hoping to give her a little something to remember while she was away after dinner.

“Are you still mad at me?” the blonde asked as she watched Ali’s chest rise and fall, trying to catch her breath. 

Ali was on her back and the keeper was pressed up against her side, cradling her neck with one arm and caressing the sensitive skin near her stomach with the other. The brunette took a couple of minutes as her breathing steadied and pulled Ashlyn’s hand up and held it against her chest. The blonde had finally realized something was wrong during dinner. Ali’s smiles didn’t quite reach all the way to her eyes and she kept tucking her hair behind her right ear. Her tell. The brunette had decided not to make a big deal out of her disappointment. After all, it’s not like they had made definite plans for the afternoon. She had assumed that Ashlyn would be thinking the same way she was thinking, and that was just as much her fault as the keeper’s. But she couldn’t hide it as well as she hoped and they ended up having a conversation about it at the end of dinner. Ali learned that Ashlyn was a procrastinator. Ashlyn learned that Ali liked things to go according to plan. It hadn’t been a fight but they both realized they had to be better about communicating with each other.

“Ash we talked about this already. I’m fine. Everything’s good.” The beautiful brunette turned her head and kissed her lips.

“I know but I feel terrible. I’m so sorry I didn’t have all my stuff done. It would have been awesome to spend all afternoon with you, especially like this.” Ashlyn wagged her eyebrows quickly before getting serious again. “It was important to you and I screwed it up Al and I’m really sorry.”

“It’s ok. You’re not a mind-reader. If it was important to me I should have talked with you about it beforehand. It’s not your fault” Ali spoke quietly as she nuzzled into the keeper’s neck, kissing her collarbone. She turned in Ashlyn’s arms and faced her, wrapping the blonde in a tight hug, pressing her full body into the keeper’s. She breathed her in deeply, trying to fill all of her senses up so she could remember what she smelled like and tasted like and felt like while she was gone.

“I don’t want you to go” she said in the tiniest voice Ashlyn had ever heard her use, face still buried in her neck. They stayed like that for a few minutes until the blonde felt Ali’s strong shoulders start to shake and her hot tears on her neck.

“Aw baby...” Ashlyn tried to soothe her love. She kissed the top of her head and squeezed her tightly as the brunette cried into her neck. “It’ll be ok, you’ll see.” She pressed another kiss into Ali’s hair and leaned back a little, worried that she was suffocating her. “I’ll be back here annoying you before you know it” she quipped, trying to lighten the mood a little bit. She was just as sad though. They hadn’t been apart for more than a night since they’d gotten together. It had only been three weeks, but it was still painfully hard to be apart from each other.

“Will you call me sometimes?” Ali asked in that tiny, fragile voice again. Ashlyn couldn’t imagine her using that voice with anybody else. It didn’t even really sound like her. The intimacy of the moment moved her beyond measure and the blonde had to fight back her own tears.

“Of course I will. And you call me too, whenever you want. And we’ll text and facetime too.” Ashlyn leaned her head back even farther so she could try and see the brunette’s face. Ali sniffled a few times and then giggled. The giggle got louder and turned into a chuckle which made Ashlyn start to laugh.

“How pathetic are we?” Ali asked as she loosened her grip on the blonde and rolled onto her back wiping the tears off of her face with her forearm. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to make it harder for you. I’m just being a baby.”

“Yeah, but you’re my baby and you’re going to miss me and that’s so freaking cute I can’t stand it” the keeper said as she planted sweet kisses all over Ali’s face. 

The kisses kept coming, faster and faster, and Ali tried to fend them off which turned into a pretty good wrestling match, which, of course, resulted in Ali straddling the blonde triumphantly, pinning her hands above her head against the pillows. There had been giggling and tickling and grabbing during the wrestling and Ashlyn was ready for more. Her core had been aching since before they started that little chat and it was time for her to get that itch scratched. 

Ali was pleased with herself and the smirk on her face showed it. She brought their lips together in a long, slow kiss, licking Ashlyn’s lips as they finally broke for air.

“God I love you” the brunette whispered emotionally, their noses only an inch apart.

They kissed again, deeply, and took turns exploring each other’s mouth and tongue and lips. Ali was still surprised at how electrifying it felt to kiss her beautiful keeper. She hoped she never got used to it. The brunette released Ashlyn’s hands and slid down her body, settling herself next to the outside of the blonde’s right thigh. She rolled her onto her left side so the dark mermaid tattoo was looking up at her.

“I need some time with this sexy mermaid before you take her away from me for so long” she said as she brought her mouth to Ashlyn’s leg.

Ashlyn moved her right hand down to play with Ali’s dark brown hair as she licked and kissed her thigh. She had been waiting for a good time to tell the brunette about the tattoo and she decided the time was finally right.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

Ali glanced up at her as she left an open-mouthed kiss on the mermaid’s bare abdomen. “Always.” She stopped and rested her chin on Ashlyn’s thigh.

“I haven’t told anybody this before. It’s something I’ve been saving just for you” the keeper held her head in her left hand, propped up on her elbow. She had Ali’s full attention now and she loved the way her gorgeous eyes stared up at her. They were whiskey colored tonight and Ashlyn got lost in them for a minute.

“What is it Ash?” Ali finally asked, afraid it was something hard or bad.

The blonde was suddenly shy and self-conscious as she tried to find the words she wanted.

“Um...I got that for you. Her,” she nodded at her thigh, “she’s for you. Well, she is you. I mean...”

Ali laid her cheek down on the mermaid and blinked up at the keeper with a patient and loving gaze. She took Ashlyn’s right hand out of her own chocolate locks and kissed it, holding it against her lips and then kissing it again. The touch worked like it always did. It calmed the keeper down and made it easier to think and talk and breathe.

“Tell me” Ali said softly into Ashlyn’s fingers, her eyes never straying from the dark hazel ones she loved so much.

Ashlyn took a deep breath and tried again. “I got her for you. I got her so I could have you with me all the time. I got her so I could feel you on my skin and in my blood every minute of every day.” She moved her hand tenderly against the brunette’s lips as she spoke. “When you came down for my birthday, that was it for me. I knew I already loved you. But the way you were there for me...” she tried to keep her voice steady as her emotions rose up. “The way you were there for me and for my family, well, that’s what finally gave me the strength to do the right thing with Hannah. By the end of your visit I knew you were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.”

“Oh Ashlyn” Ali breathed out, tears forming in her eyes.

“I wasn’t sure how to make it happen but I knew that’s what I wanted. I knew you were what I wanted.” She cupped the brunette’s face and gently stroked her cheek with her thumb. “And I knew then I had to get a tattoo for you...for what you meant to me, whether I was lucky enough to get you or not, I wanted you on my skin.”

Ali crawled up to spoon the blonde from behind, trailing her right hand down to keep touching the beautiful tattoo on her thigh. Ashlyn rested her head on the pillow and reached behind her to lay her right hand across the brunette’s hip, softly patting her ass.

“So I made the appointment and Lisa and I talked about it and I told her my idea and we designed it together. Then, because I’m an impatient idiot, you ended up seeing it before it was even healed and had to help me take care of it. I’m still so sorry about that baby.”

The brunette pressed a warm kiss into Ashlyn’s neck, closed her eyes for a moment and said, “Tell me her story.”

The keeper leaned her head into Ali’s when she felt the warm kiss on her neck. “I knew I wanted something in water or of water because the only thing that’s as important to me as you are is water. I’d been thinking about it since you surprised me at Gram’s house. And then, your last night when we went to the beach and I saw you in that...”

“Red string-bikini” Ali playfully completed her sentence for her, making the blonde roll her eyes.

“Yes, you obviously don’t understand the effect you have on people. Especially this people” Ashlyn pointed her thumb at herself. “You freaking re-wired my circuitry that night with that thing. Damn you looked hot in that.” Ashlyn shook her head from side to side enjoying the memory. “At one point when we were all standing there in the ocean talking you dunked down under the water and your hair billowed out around you, floating in the sea and it just came to me. That’s when I knew what it would be. A siren from Greek mythology or a mermaid from just about everywhere in the world. They’re basically variations of the same thing.”

“Didn’t sirens make the sailors crash their ships or something? I always thought they were bad?” Ali asked.

“Yes, some of them are. But there are also stories of them helping lost or drowning sailors too. The most common story is usually of a group of sirens out in the ocean on some big rocks singing their song. Their song was so beautiful and mesmerizing that sailors were drawn to it no matter how hard they tried to stop themselves. And they would sail their ships onto the rocks, destroying the ships and drowning the sailors, trying to get to the sirens.”

Ali was quiet. She didn’t think it was a very flattering image to have representing her but she waited, hoping there was more. She trusted the keeper.

Ashlyn squeezed the brunette’s hip behind her. “But for me, your siren’s call is what pulled me out of a bad place. It guided me back onto my path and led me to you. I’d be lost without you, without my siren calling me home to her.” 

The blonde turned her head and upper body so she could kiss Ali’s lips. They were wet from the tears slipping down her cheeks. “Saltwater from my beautiful siren. Perfect. I love you” she whispered against the brunette’s tear-stained lips.


	2. 10 Days

It was a long ten days for Ali. She spent the first weekend cleaning her house from top to bottom, she even took the pictures down and scrubbed the walls. It was one of those deep cleans. She usually did that once a year but, as she lay her head down on her pillow that Sunday night she realized, she hadn’t made time to do it last year. She had been busy with Sarah and Ashlyn. She gave herself a pass and fell asleep almost instantly, dreaming of her blonde love.

She went to Ashlyn’s house early Monday morning to make sure the painters were all set to go. She knew that Ashlyn had made arrangements with George, her builder, but she just wanted to be sure. George didn’t typically monitor the painting contractor because there literally wasn’t much they could screw up that couldn’t be re-painted. But Ashlyn was living in the house now and all of her things were there and the brunette just needed to check in and let them know that she was going to be around. Sometimes that’s all you needed to do was just let them know that you would be present while they were there. Her plan was to work from Ashlyn’s house that day. She was surprised to see George’s truck in the driveway as she parked her truck behind Ashlyn’s jeep.

“Hey George” Ali greeted him as she took her boots off in the mudroom. It was 7am.

“Ali” he smiled at her. “What are you doing here?”

She put Ashlyn’s slippers on without even thinking about it and crossed the room to shake his hand.

“Ashlyn asked me to keep an eye on things for her this week while she’s out of town.” She looked into the front living room, happy to see protective plastic everywhere already. “I brought a bunch of work to do in between appointments today. I won’t get in the way, I promise.” She smiled at the builder.

“Oh ok. Checking up on us, I see” he joked and grinned back at her.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect you to be here. If I’d known that I wouldn’t have bothered” she confessed sheepishly.

The fact that George was there was a testament to how much he liked and respected Ashlyn and her house. Ali was touched by it but knew not to make a big deal out of it. She didn’t want to embarrass the builder.

“I didn’t realize you guys were that friendly” he broached the subject gingerly. He didn’t want to cross that line any more than Ali did.

“Yeah, well it turned out we had a ton in common, not the least of which are my season tickets to the Breakers games. I ended up being friends with most of the team by the time the season was over. When the next player is ready to do their house I’ll let you know. Ashlyn has already recommended you to everybody she knows at least twice.” They both laughed easily.

“I know she’s ready for the gym too. We’ll be doing that next week. Then we’ll be out of your hair for good” he looked at his phone and then put it back in his pocket.

“You didn’t hear it from me, but I think she’d love to do something with the patio in the back, and she wants to re-do the garage too. But probably not right away” Ali added. 

“Whenever she’s ready. Well I’m going to make sure they’re all set and then get on to the next one.” He extended his hand. “It’s good to see you again Ali.”

Ali shook his hand. “You too George. Call me when you’re ready for windows again.”

“You know I will” he said as he walked toward the main stairs and started up to the second floor.

The brunette went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. She stood in front of the counter to wait and tried to decide where to set herself up for the day. Kitchen or master bedroom? Her eyes scanned the refrigerator next to her. It was stainless and the side of it was right next to the counter where the Keurig coffee maker was and it had some different magnets and pictures and things stuck on it. The face of it wasn’t magnetic but this side was. She smiled when she saw the picture of she and Ashlyn from her golf event that September. They were flexing like idiots to celebrate their second place finish. Then there was the picture of the two of them at Epcot for Ashlyn’s birthday in October, drunk and with face paint. Below that was a picture of them curled up on Gram’s couch under the afghan from Ali’s visit at Christmas. Ali couldn’t even remember who could have taken that one. Below that was the magnetic framed picture of them getting their first place ribbon at the obstacle course race from New Year’s Eve in Miami. Ali hadn’t noticed it at the time but they really did look obvious. In the picture, the brunette is holding the ribbon up above her head and enjoying the victory while Ashlyn is looking at her with a lovesick puppy dog look on her face. It was adorable but geez, no wonder everybody kept telling them it was so obvious they had feelings for each other. The picture that was in the center of all of these other ones, but that Ali naturally looked at last because the keeper wasn’t in it, was of her on that last night at the beach before she had to come back home after Ashlyn’s birthday. It was a close up of her in profile with her hair blowing softly in the breeze as she stared out over the ocean. She didn’t know when it had been taken or by whom but she had to admit it was a beautiful picture. The most recent addition was from just last week. It was a picture of Ashlyn from the chest up with her dimple grin and Ali, with her eyes closed and looking completely blissful, pressing a kiss to her cheek. She smiled as she looked at it. Yeah, George would never figure out that they were sleeping together. Ali rolled her eyes at herself and her carefully constructed ‘professional’ barrier. Who the fuck cares, she thought to herself finally and walked over to the nook in the corner of the family room to start making her phone calls. 

//

“Well you look good” Whitney hugged her best friend at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport early Saturday afternoon. 

“Whit I’m so glad to see you” Ashlyn hugged her and picked her up off the ground.

They got her suitcase from baggage claim and drove back to Whitney and Ryan’s apartment for the weekend. Ryan, a lacrosse coach, was away for the weekend travelling with his team.

The weekend went by way too quickly for both women. They had visited their old UNC stomping grounds and visited old friends in the area. Whitney found great joy every time she listened to the keeper tell her different friends about Ali. The defender had thought Ali was different and might even be someone special, but to have it actually a reality was truly awesome. She was happy for Ashlyn and relieved that her best friend was finally with someone whom she knew appreciated her for all of the amazing things she was. 

As they drove back to the airport early Monday morning Ashlyn continued a conversation they had started a couple of different times during the course of the weekend.

“So what do you think? Are you going to move in with me or what?” the keeper asked her again.

“I’d love to Ash, but I don’t want to be the fifth wheel for you guys. Been there, done that, no thank you.” She was only half-joking as she answered. One of Ashlyn’s college girlfriends basically moved in with she and Whitney for a semester and the defender was stilled scarred from the experience. 

“Don’t be silly. You won’t be. If we want some super private time we can always go to her house. Her bed works just fine too” Ashlyn joked before getting serious. “But seriously Whitney, if you don’t want to I’ll quit bugging you about it. But I’d love to have you. There’s no mortgage to pay so you won’t have to pay rent. I know the Breakers pay part of the rent at the apartment, but this is no rent. Zero. Zippo. And I don’t expect you to split the utilities with me because I’m the one who decided to live in a big huge house, not you. All I’d ask is that you pay me what we did last year for the utilities at the apartment, your half. Just like last year. The down side of the house is that it’s an hour from the Breakers facility. That’s a total bummer and I get it if you don’t want to just because of that. But the up side is that it’s huge and we’d get to hang out a lot and there’s a gym downstairs that you can use anytime you want. The ocean, Whitney, the ocean is right there. You can walk to the fucking ocean any time you want to. And I know you like Ali. You two tag-teamed me last summer so, honestly, I’m an idiot to try and get you to move in. I’m literally asking for trouble...”

“Alright, alright!” Whitney cut her off as her rambling started to gain momentum. Saving money would be very helpful for her. Ryan was going to try to get a good coaching job up in the Boston area next season and if he did then they would look for a place together in Boston. The more she saved now the more options they’d have when Ryan moved up. “I’d love to move in but on two conditions.”

“Yes! I’m so happy Whitney Elizabeth Engen!!!” Ashlyn pumped her fist in the passenger seat and grinned. “Wait, what are the two conditions?”

“One is that you have to tell me if I’m in the way. I promise I won’t be mad or hurt or anything. You have to promise that we’ll always be honest about that. Ok?” She gave the keeper a challenging look.

“Deal. Absolutely. What’s the next one?”

“I do not want to hear you two having sex all the time. So figure out a way for that not to happen and I’m there.”

Ashlyn paused for a minute, thinking. “Well, we are having a lot of sex so that might be a challenge.” She thought harder about a possible solution. “My bedroom is kind of off on its own anyway so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. I’d say you should take one of the front bedrooms to get some more distance if you’re really worried about it. The guest bedroom has that fireplace in it though so you’d be giving that up.” She thought some more. “Hey! I don’t know if you’re interested or not but you could go up to the third floor if you want. Not the room on the driveway side though, I’m going to make that an office for Ali. Don’t tell her though, it’s a secret. But you can have the other one if you want.”

“Hmmm I hadn’t thought about that. That’s not a bad idea actually.”

“It’s a good sized room. The only thing about those two rooms up there is that the mansard roof makes the interior walls slope a little. And there’s no bathroom up there but that’s not a big deal. You can have your own. Just pick whichever one you want on the second floor and it’ll be just yours.”

“Thanks Ash.”

“So do we have a deal?” the keeper asked again.

“Yeah, we do.”

“Yesssss!!! This is going to be so great!”

//

The rest of the week went by faster than Ali thought it would. It wasn’t how she wanted to spend the week either. She usually went to visit her mom and play some golf in the Florida February sun. But not this year. She was arranging a surprise for Ashlyn while she and the team were in Jacksonville for training camp in March so she had to save her vacation days. And then there were two weddings to plan for as well, Sydney and Dom’s and also Chris and Beth’s. Vacation days would be at a premium that year. She had gotten a lot of work done without the keeper to distract her. She felt happy and sad about that at the same time. She missed Ashlyn so much it actually physically hurt sometimes. They called every day and texted several times a day. That made a huge difference. Just getting a simple text from the blonde saying that she loved her and missed her made Ali feel better. She helped Sydney with some other wedding details and managed to talk her through a major dust-up with Dom over the seating arrangement for the wedding reception. Dom was from England and most of his family still lived there and they had some traditions they wanted to see him continue. Ali knew it was going to be a problem at some point but there was no predicting when and where it would blow up. Seating arrangements was not at all what she would have guessed to be the battle line.

The painters were mostly done on Thursday but George made them come back Friday to meet with Ali and make sure everything got put back where it belonged and that they did an extra good job cleaning up after themselves. Ali tried to talk George out of it over the phone.

“Really George, you don’t have to do that. I planned to do a cleaning in there this weekend anyway.” As soon as the words left her lips she realized how weird it would be for her to be cleaning a friend’s house like that. Just a friend. Especially after taking so much time during the week to make sure things were going smoothly at the house with the painters. 

“Hey Ali can I say something to you? It’s kind of personal and I don’t want to overstep.” He waited for her to answer him.

“Ummm...” she didn’t know what to say to that.

“I’m really happy for you. You’re one of the nicest people I know. You’re great at your job and easy to work with. I’ve always been surprised there wasn’t a ring on your finger already, to be honest. And you know I like Ashlyn, I’ve told you that before. I just wanted to tell you I’m happy for you.”

She let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “Wow. Thanks George. I’m embarrassed. I try so hard to keep things all business...”

“I know you do and I’m sorry if I crossed the line there.”

“No, you’re one of the nicest guys I know too. Thank you for saying that. It means a lot.”

“Well I think I owe you some thanks too. When the project first started and we ran into all those problems Ashlyn was really upset. I could tell. I’ve seen that look in clients’ eyes a hundred times. Whatever you said to talk her down and get her to keep communicating with me, I really appreciate it. If she’d cancelled the project I’d have been in big trouble. A lot of things make more sense to me now. I owe you.”

“All I did was tell her the truth. I told her to trust you because I trusted you and to talk to you because you guys were a team. She was the one who was smart enough to take my advice.”

“Ok, so the guys will be there tomorrow morning at 7am to put everything where you want it and get things cleaned up. Call me if there are any problems, ok?”

“Thanks George. Will do.”

//

“I do not understand it child, but I’m glad you like it. It just looks angry and sore to me” Gram said as she leaned closer to look at the outside of Ashlyn’s right shin. 

The keeper had landed early Monday afternoon and visited her family before going out to dinner with some friends. She surfed all morning Tuesday with her brother and one of their cousins. She wanted to make sure she got that in before she got her new tattoo later that afternoon and couldn’t go in the water for a while.

By Saturday it was starting to scab and swell and Ashlyn wished Gram had looked at it Tuesday night when she got home instead. It had looked raw and red then, but this part now was the least attractive part.

“Gram, it is angry and sore right now. I’ll send you a picture when it looks better. I really want you to see how great the headdress turned out.” Ashlyn moved her leg back down to the coffee table as Gram sat next to her on the couch.

“I’m proud of you Bashy” Gram patted Ashlyn’s thigh as she spoke.

“For getting the headdress right?”

“No, honey,” she chuckled. “For going after what you really wanted and getting it. I can’t remember the last time I saw you this relaxed and carefree. It makes an old woman very happy.”

Ashlyn took Gram’s hand in hers and held it for a minute before she spoke. “I love her so much Gram. I mean, I never knew a person could love somebody else as much as I love Ali.” The blonde sat with an amazed look on her face as Gram chuckled again.

“Yes, well that sounds like the true love kind of love. That’s the most special kind there is. It’s impossible to know about until you find yourself smack dab in the middle of it.” They were both quiet for a few minutes.

“You had that with Gramps, didn’t you?”

“Yes we did.” The old woman patted her granddaughter’s thigh again. “I’m so happy for you honey. I love you so much.”

//

It was Monday morning and Ali was back at Ashlyn’s house waiting for Mrs. Riley to arrive. She assumed that the blonde had given her a key and the alarm code but she thought she’d better just make sure. Luckily, George and his guys were already in the basement starting the work to finish the right side half of it and then turning it into the home gym. Mrs. Riley wouldn’t need a key or the alarm code with George there that day. Oh well, since she was there she may as well go in and get some work done.

Ashlyn was flying in later that night and Ali was picking her up at the airport and she was giddy with excitement. After sleeping alone in her own bed for seven nights Ali had spent Saturday night in Ashlyn’s bed. She had gone to dinner at her Dad’s house and then over to the big old house. She felt very far away from her beautiful keeper and needed to feel some sort of connection. So she crawled under the covers and slept on Ashlyn’s side of the bed, trying to catch the last lingering wisps of her scent on the pillow or the sheets.

Sunday Ali had been antsy and agitated and lonely. She went in the front parlor and worked out hard for about an hour. She trotted upstairs to shower and change and she decided to wash the sheets and towels that had been out for nine days too. She went and did the grocery shopping so the refrigerator would be stocked when Ashlyn came home Monday night. She was going to clean the house too but she remembered Mrs. Riley would be coming the next morning so she didn’t. The brunette walked around the first floor admiring the paint colors that Ashlyn had selected. She did the same on the second floor and then climbed the stairs to the third floor.

She hadn’t spent very much time up there but it was a beautiful space. Both of the big rooms were airy and light. The room on the driveway side, above the front bedroom and Meg’s room on the second floor, and above the front living room and mudroom on the first floor, got the afternoon sun. The front corner of the room faced West. As she stood in the room late that Sunday afternoon the last bits of sunlight were starting to fade away. It wouldn’t be completely dark for another hour but the room felt warm and safe despite being unfurnished. Ashlyn had painted the walls almost a brown sugar color, warm muted light brown. The trim was a clean crisp white paint and the hardwood floor, like most of the floors in the house, was a mix of 4” walnut and maple boards. The random layout of the lighter maple boards with the darker walnut ones had always been one of Ali’s favorite looks. It made it easy to match furniture with too. 

There were some boxes in the corner of the room and several paintings were lined up along the floor, leaning against the interior wall. Ashlyn had moved them, the paintings that had hung in her grandmother’s house for as long as she could remember, back from the storage unit. The keeper loved art and was kind of fussy about what she hung where and how it was framed. Ashlyn was taking her time to hang them and trying to find just the right spot for each one, moving them around every few days. None of it was valuable or anything, but there were some beautiful seascapes and paintings of the harbor and docks that were perfect for the house. The blonde wanted to put her own mark on the walls too and would add to the collection when she found something new that she loved.

The room on the other side of the house, above the other front bedroom on the second floor and the hall bath and the guest bedroom, and above the front parlor and dining room on the first floor, was just a little bit narrower than the other room. They must have needed three extra feet in the hallway to get the stairs to work or something. This room was painted a color that looked like a mixture of sage green and concrete grey, very neutral. Ali was a little surprised by the choice but she knew this room got a lot of sunlight all day. The front corner of this room faced due North so it got constant sunlight, just not the direct kind. There were more boxes in this room and one of them was open and a folding chair was sitting in front of it. The brunette peeked inside and saw lots of old books. She sat down and started going through them like a kid in a candy store. Forty-five minutes later it was completely dark and she couldn’t see anymore so she took the three books that had caught her eye and brought them downstairs.

As she sat in the nook eating her dinner before heading back to her own house, she looked at the books. One was an old book of Methodist hymns. The second was a naturalist book about flora and fauna on Cape Ann from the 1960’s. And the third was a weathered and worn bible, American Standard Version published in 1901, with a black leather cover. It was obviously well-worn, well-used and well-loved. There were some pressed flowers between the pages, and programs from several different funeral services for people dating back to 1948. When she looked at the blank page before the title page inside the front cover there was a list of births and deaths and marriages with dates after them. The list was carefully hand-written in black ink. One page was for the Dodge family and the other page was for the Burnham family. At the very top it said ‘Lilian Elizabeth Dodge, 1936’.

“Wow” she said out loud, to herself.

Two lines stood out to her as she scanned the lists and dates. Under Ashlyn’s grandfather’s name, above the line that read ‘Tammye Elizabeth Burnham, b. 3-23-1963’, were two names with heartbreaking dates. 

The Dodge page was very short. These were Grandmother Lilian’s parents, Ali surmised.

‘James Robert Dodge, b. 9-16-1905 d. 4-21-1966  
Married 9-18-1924  
Victoria Lilian Bates, b. 2-23-1907 d. 6-1-1962

Children  
Lilian Elizabeth Dodge, b. 5-30-1925  
Married 6-8-1943 John Edward Burnham’

 

The Burnham page was longer and must have been Grandpa John’s family.

‘John Edward Burnham, b. 10-13-1894 d. 1-26-1958  
Married 4-10-1918  
Elizabeth Sarah Leavitt, b. 3-31-1900 d. 7-21-1964

Children  
John Edward Burnham II, b. 3-19-1920 d. 5-2-2001  
Married 6-8-1943 Lilian Elizabeth Dodge

Sarah Eliza Burnham, b. 11-20-1922 d. 6-27-1996  
Children Elizabeth Mariah Burnham, b. 9-3-1947  
Children Jeremiah Edward Burnham, b. 12-29-1969

 

John Edward Burnham II, b. 3-19-1920 d. 5-2-2001  
Married 6-8-1943 Lilian Elizabeth Dodge

Children  
Edward Dodge Burnham, b. 5-12-1945 d. 9-29-1948  
John Thomas Burnham, b. 2-7-1949 d. 3-2-1949  
Tammye Elizabeth Burnham, b. 3-23-1963

Tammye Elizabeth Burnham, b. 3-23-1963  
Married 5-11-1983  
Michael Francis Harris, b. 8-6-1962

Children  
Christopher Ryan Harris, b. 2-9-1984  
Ashlyn Michelle Harris, b. 10-19-1985’

Lilian had been an only child and her husband, John, had been one of two children so there weren’t a lot of entries overall. Ali knew there was a small amount of family up in New Hampshire and that must be John’s only other sibling, Sarah Burnham. There was no marriage information for her or for her daughter Elizabeth, but they both had one child each. Interesting. But the heartbreaking thing was that Lilian had apparently had two sons before she had Tammye, and neither of them lived past three years old. And there was a big gap between the two boys’ births and Tammye’s, fourteen years to be exact. The brunette couldn’t imagine the kind of pain and grief Ashlyn’s grandmother must have experienced. Her first son had been three years old when he died. Her second son hadn’t lived more than one month after he was born. And the boys had died within six months of each other. Jesus. She wanted to get more information from the keeper about the sad story. Lilian must have been one strong woman.

There was a commotion in the mudroom that snapped Ali back to the present. Mrs. Riley had arrived and brought cleaning supplies and tools with her. The old woman looked up, surprised to see Ali standing in the kitchen doorway.

“Oh, good morning dear” she said as she put down a cleaning bucket, heavy with various supplies inside. She let out a sigh as she stood up and smiled that tight-lipped smile at the brunette. Maybe that was just the way she smiled, Ali thought.

“Good morning. Can I help you with any of that?” Ali asked politely.

“If it wouldn’t be a bother, there are two more bags in the backseat” she smiled again appreciatively. That smile was only a tiny bit bigger than the first one. “Ashlyn asked me to buy what I would need and stock the cleaning cabinet. She’ll just add it to the first week’s total” she explained.

“Of course. Makes good sense” Ali said and smiled as she quickly slipped her boots on. “I don’t know where the cleaning closet used to be but it’s in the corner next to the desk now” she pointed to the corner of the mudroom by the kitchen door and then hustled out to the driveway to retrieve the bags.

“Thank you dear” Mrs. Riley said as she watched the brunette leave the house.

Three hours later, after the old woman had finished her work for the day, the two women sat at the small kitchen table in front of the big fireplace. Ali had made Mrs. Riley tea, unknowingly gaining her immediate approval by actually boiling the water in a kettle and steeping actual tea bags for them both. The brunette wasn’t a huge fan of tea but she had always liked the idea of having tea with someone. She used to have tea with her mom in the afternoon after school when they were both at home. She smiled to herself as she thought about how much pleasure a simple ritual like boiling and sharing flavored water could bring.

They had exchanged the typical pleasantries about the weather and Ali had listened to the old woman complain about how dirt from construction could and did get everywhere. It wasn’t whiny complaining, it was more of a statement of fact than anything. The brunette actually loved talking with people like Mrs. Riley. They didn’t beat around the bush. They said what was on their mind and didn’t dramatize anything. She hadn’t planned on spending time with Ashlyn’s cleaning lady but had decided it would be a good idea to get off on the right foot with Mrs. Riley.

Ali learned that Mrs. Riley’s mother had also been a very good friend of Lilian’s. They had been friends as young brides and fell out of touch for a while when Mrs. Riley’s family moved out of Gloucester in the 1970s. But when they moved back to town several years later, after Mrs. Riley’s father passed away, the friendship picked up as if it had never missed a beat. It had been Mrs. Riley’s mother who had encouraged her to start working for Lilian four years ago. 

“I’m about to make myself some lunch, would you like to stay and join me?” Ali asked as she got up from the kitchen table.

“Oh no dear, thank you” Mrs. Riley stood and looked at her watch. “I have to be getting home myself. Just so you know, this won’t usually take so long but I had to get back to a good clean starting point.” She chuckled and shook her head as she moved towards the mudroom. “Thursday might be another long one but we’ll get there soon. She’ll be back in shape before you know it” she said looking up and around at the interior of the big old house. Ali liked the way she called the house a ‘she’, as if it were an actual sailing vessel.

“And I won’t always chat your ear off either” Ali grinned and cleared the cups and saucers to the sink. “I just wanted to make sure you had everything you needed this morning because Ashlyn won’t be back until tonight.”

They had discussed the alarm code and where all the light switches were and Ali had made sure the old woman had her own key and knew how to get the mudroom door unlocked.

“I appreciate your help. You’re a good girl, that’s plain to see” Mrs. Riley said sincerely. “Here’s the receipt for the cleaning supplies, tell Ashlyn she can include it with next Monday’s payment. That’ll be just fine.” She held out the receipt and Ali took it from her with another smile. 

“Sure thing. I’ll make sure she gets it.”

The old woman stood there with what Ali had decided was really her biggest smile. The women looked at each other for a couple of minutes until it became awkward.

“What am I missing” Ali asked with a giggle. “I don’t know what you need but there’s obviously something I’m supposed to be doing and I don’t know what it is.” She blushed a little bit and rocked forward on her toes expectantly.

Mrs. Riley laughed and slapped herself on the outside of her thigh as she did so. It wasn’t exactly a jolly laugh but Ali could see it was genuine and giggled again herself.

“We agreed that I would get paid on Mondays for the week in advance” the old woman explained. “I take it Ashlyn didn’t leave me an envelope did she?”

Ali looked around the desk and even checked the kitchen counters just in case she had overlooked something. No envelope. The brunette ended up writing the old woman a check for that week as well as the cleaning supplies. Ashlyn had agreed to pay her in cash so Mrs. Riley wouldn’t have to pay taxes on it but Ali didn’t have enough cash on her to do that. One or two payments by check wouldn’t cause any tax trouble. Mrs. Riley had been good about it, patting Ali on her arm affectionately as she took the check from her and tucked it into her purse.

“Oh I can see why you two make such a good pair” she nodded knowingly at the brunette. “Thank you for the tea dear.” She winked, put her coat on and closed the door behind her, chuckling as she went.


	3. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning

The reunion at the airport Monday night had been romantic and a little frantic. Neither of them could help it. As Ashlyn stepped onto the escalator to go down to the baggage claim area she scanned the twenty or so people assembled there. Some were watching for their bags, some were on their phones and some were watching the escalator for their loved ones. The keeper had told Ali just to pick her up outside like they had done back in January. That way she wouldn’t have to pay to park the truck in central parking and then have to walk over to the terminal. The brunette had agreed, only because she thought Ashlyn might be very tired from the travel and it would be quicker not to park the truck. 

As the blonde finished scanning the crowd below her, she felt disappointment even though it had been her idea in the first place. She couldn’t wait to see Ali’s face. Her vacation had been wonderful but she never wanted to be away from her beautiful brunette for that long ever again. Just as she slumped her shoulders and turned her attention to finding the correct baggage carousel for her flight, a flash of movement caught her eye over by the exterior door. Ashlyn was almost at the bottom of the escalator so she had to pay attention to when to step off of it. She looked down for a second and then back up and her heart soared when she saw Ali take a few steps inside the door and start her own scan of the room. The blonde waved her arm up in the air and the dimple nearly popped out of her cheek when she locked eyes with Ali and grinned from ear to ear. 

The brunette started to run towards her and Ashlyn almost tripped stepping off the escalator. She took two steps away from the moving stairs and managed to drop her backpack and let go of her carry-on just as Ali leapt into her arms. Ashlyn caught her and hugged her tight, both arms around her back. Ali wrapped her legs around the keeper’s waist and her arms around her neck, blonde and brunette hair everywhere in both their faces. They held each other close for several minutes without breaking the hug. 

“Oh my God I missed you so much” Ali whispered against the side of the blonde’s head.

“Me too baby. I’m so glad to be home.” 

That was the first time Ashlyn had ever referred to anyplace other than Satellite Beach as home. She didn’t notice it at the time but Ali heard it and it made her so happy that tears sprang up in the corners of her eyes. Eventually they collected themselves enough to move away from the busy escalator and out of the main foot traffic. Ashlyn brought their lips together in a tender kiss that was so full of love and longing and sweetness that neither woman ever wanted it to end. But they had to breathe and they needed to get the keeper’s suitcase so they could go home and reunite other lonely body parts.

Thirty minutes later they walked arm-in-arm, holding onto each other tightly, across the glass walkway that connected the terminal with the central parking facility. Ashlyn wore her backpack and dragged along her suitcase. Ali wheeled the carry-on bag behind her. Their heads were bent close together and they took their time, just enjoying the nearness of the other. Ali drove them home, tempted to stop at her own house because it was so much closer and another forty minutes without being able to touch the blonde the way she really wanted to was almost too much for her to bear. Ashlyn held her hand the whole time, fingers interlocked, and used her other hand to caress the brunette’s arm as they sped along the highway. They had kept in touch while the keeper had been away, talking and texting every day. There wasn’t much new news to exchange so they talked about the silly mundane stuff that you never really cared about with anybody else before. But now, with your true love, it was fascinating and exciting information. 

Ali parked the truck in the driveway of the big old house and they carried in her suitcases, leaving them in the mudroom near the washer and dryer. Ashlyn placed her backpack on the desk and pulled a plastic bag out of it. 

“Here baby, I got these for you” the keeper held the bag out.

“You didn’t have to get me anything Ash” Ali said sweetly as she took the bag and kissed her lightly on the lips. “Trust me, having you here is all the gift I’ll ever need.”

“Really?” the blonde quirked her eyebrow. “That sounds like I don’t need to bring you a present from any trip I ever take again.” She smirked, enjoying the thoughtful look on Ali’s face.

“Yeah, ok, I take it back. Thank you very much for whatever is in this bag. I love you.” Ali gave her another quick kiss.

There was a t-shirt from Satellite Beach and a shot glass from North Carolina. Ashlyn knew enough not to bring her a UNC shot glass for her collection, but she didn’t think the brunette had one from North Carolina yet. Ali gave her a sweet smile and thanked her for the gifts. She pulled out a separate smaller bag and unwrapped another shot glass.

“That’s from Whit. She says hi” Ashlyn giggled.

“Fucking Whitney” Ali shook her head as she turned the shot glass around to see the UNC Tarheel emblem. “Very nice Ashlyn” the brunette fake glared at her.

“Hey, don’t look at me. I know better.” 

The keeper pulled Ali into a hug that developed into a long, deep kiss. They kissed and touched and smiled, getting re-acquainted with each other before they couldn’t stand it another minute. Ali led the blonde by the hand up the back stairs and into the master bathroom. They stripped, got into the shower together and washed away the travel and the strangers and the distance that had been between them for ten days. Soft moans and gentle teasing touches in the shower turned into low hungry groans, heavy caresses and breathless kisses as they made their way to the bed. 

They made love tentatively at first, as if the dream would end and they would wake up alone again if either of them wasn’t careful enough. 

“I’m so glad you’re home” Ali said softly as she lay her head across the keeper’s chest, pressing a kiss into her breast as she looked up at the blonde. She cupped Ashlyn’s face with her left hand and enjoyed the way her skin felt beneath her.

“Me too” the blonde smiled down at her and moved her hand to caress Ali’s bare ass. “I can’t believe I survived ten days without you...without this.” Ashlyn brushed some hair away from the brunette’s face with her other hand. “I don’t ever want you to think that the sex is more important than everything else Al. I hope you know that. We’ve never talked about it or anything, and I know I can be a horndog sometimes, but I would love you just as much if we never had sex again.” The keeper’s emotions surfaced and washed over her face as she spoke. “I don’t even know what I’m saying...I just get so overwhelmed sometimes when I’m with you like this. I just can’t believe I get to be with you, that you love me back the way I love you...” she rambled as she started to cry softly.

Ali felt her own heart swell and fought her own tears as she leaned up and kissed the blonde on her cheek. “Hey, I know what you’re saying honey” she kissed her cheek again and ran her hand through Ashlyn’s long blonde locks. “You always get these things out before I get the chance to, but I swear, I feel the exact same way. I love you so much that it scares me sometimes.” She wiped the keeper’s tears off of her cheek with her thumb. “Sometimes I feel like my heart will literally explode it’s so full and happy with you in it.” She paused for a minute to steady her voice. “Do you know what you said at the airport tonight?”

Ashlyn shook her head, “Not really. I know I said I love you...”

“You said you were glad to be home. I’ve never heard you call anyplace but Satellite Beach ‘home’. And when I heard you say that tonight...” her voice broke, unable to contain her emotions any longer. 

Ashlyn wrapped her arms around the brunette and hugged her, leaning down to gently kiss her lips.

“When I heard you say that tonight I couldn’t believe I could love you more than I already did, but I loved you even more. I’ve never felt anything like this before Ashlyn. I barely know how to describe it. All I know is I can’t breathe when you’re not with me. And I feel like there’s nothing that can hurt me when we’re together. It’s like I need to find a word that means more than ‘love’ because I keep saying ‘I love you’ and it just doesn’t sound like enough compared to how I feel about you.” 

The keeper brought their lips together in a passionate kiss. It wasn’t urgent or needy. It was long and languid and full of all of the overwhelming love they had both just talked about. When they finally separated Ashlyn’s face was serious as she stared into Ali’s cinnamon eyes.

“I love you Ali. And my home is with you and that’s exactly what I felt in my heart when I saw you at the airport tonight. My brain may not have known what it was saying, but my heart did. This is my home, here with you. For as long as you’ll have me.”

//

As ridiculously in love as they were, things weren’t all peaches and cream for the lovebirds. As thoughtful and romantic as Ashlyn could be, she was also forgetful and careless sometimes with details and plans. This rarely impacted Ali directly. It was more along the lines of the keeper having to do things twice or drive back to the house because she forgot something or making plans when she already had plans. The blonde was at her best when the plans and details included Ali, but as soon as they didn’t, that’s when she could get herself into trouble. The childlike qualities that Ali loved about her could also drive her crazy. The brunette didn’t want to always be the grown-up and it could be a battle for them to not fall into those roles in their everyday life together.

And even though Ali was kind and easy-going most of the time, she had a temper and could be impatient other times. She was a natural leader in everything that she did and she either solved problems or found a way to avoid them altogether through proper planning. She joked about her Italian showing sometimes but she was quick to let you know if she was upset. She wasn’t a yeller or anything like that, but she didn’t like to keep things in. If you were with Ali you weren’t going to have a long drawn-out fight. There were no games. She was going to tell you what she was upset about and you would work through it.

It was rare for them to argue because they were both very in tune with each other and they both genuinely loved to do things for each other. But, naturally, the more time they spent together the bigger the chance became for a misunderstanding or a miscommunication to bubble up between them.

So it was later that week, Friday March 4th, 2016, that they had their first real fight. Whitney Engen had sent Ashlyn a text about moving in on Tuesday the next week. Ali had been holding the blonde’s phone laughing at a picture on Instagram that the keeper had shown her. They were sitting next to each other on the couch in the front living room about to watch a movie after dinner. The brunette could not have avoided seeing the text if she had tried. It flashed at the top of the screen for a few seconds and then went away. Ali waited for the keeper to say something about the text but she didn’t. Two hours later the movie ended and Ashlyn leaned down and kissed the brunette wrapped around her side. She tried to deepen the next kiss but Ali pulled back and tucked some hair behind her right ear.

“Uh oh. What’d I do?” the blonde asked, leaning back.

Ali knew she couldn’t play dumb, the keeper already knew her too well for that. And she didn’t want to pretend nothing was wrong, but she wasn’t sure if she had a valid reason to be upset. If Whitney was indeed going to come live with Ashlyn in the big old house what was the big deal? It made perfect sense and, honestly, Ali was surprised the idea had never crossed her mind before. It was Ashlyn’s house and she could do what she wanted with it. Ali was afraid that her feelings were just hurt because the blonde hadn’t told her about it. Just because Ali wanted to share everything with her didn’t mean that Ashlyn necessarily felt the need to share everything with the brunette. Maybe that’s what stung.

“Nothing. Why? Do you think you did something?” Ali said and immediately felt stupid for saying it.

Ashlyn leaned forward, grabbed her beer from the coffee table and took a drink.

“Al, I have no idea what’s wrong but I’d like to fix it so can you please just tell me what’s the matter?” Ashlyn tried again, her voice calm and steady.

“I saw Whit’s text. Is she moving in?” Ali asked, still not sure herself why she was upset. 

The keeper raised her eyebrows a little and then nodded her head, trying to figure out what the problem could be before she actually spoke.

“Yeah, didn’t I tell you that?” she asked honestly. She had meant to tell Ali the day Whitney had finally agreed to it but, Ashlyn remembered, they hadn’t been able to talk on the phone very long that day because she had flown to Florida and been busier than usual that evening.

“No” Ali answered evenly, trying to keep her temper in check. It seemed like Ashlyn was trying to make it seem like she had told her already.

“I’m sorry baby. I meant to tell you but the day it happened was when I flew to Florida and had that really busy night out for dinner and all that. Do you remember that night?” Ashlyn put the beer bottle back on the coaster on the coffee table and took Ali’s hands in hers, rubbing her thumbs along the backs of them soothingly. It wasn’t working. Ali didn’t say anything and she pulled her hands away and sat up on the couch putting some distance between the two of them.

“Why are you upset? Do you not want Whitney to move in?” Ashlyn was trying hard to navigate the minefield she found herself in.

“It’s just a surprise I guess.” Ali had finally honed in on what was bothering her. It was all the surprises. Mrs. Riley had been a surprise too. She had stuffed that down, not wanting to make a big deal out of it and that’s why this Whitney surprise was eating at her. It made sense to her now.

“I’m sorry. I meant to tell you. I really thought I had.”

“Ok.” Ali felt like a child having a snit. She couldn’t decide if this was enough to have an argument about or not. Maybe she could let it go. But before she could make any headway down that path Ashlyn was talking to her again.

“Ali please tell me what’s bothering you. I didn’t mean to upset you. I guess it didn’t occur to me that it would matter who lived in my house.” She didn’t mean it to sound bitchy but she had chosen her words poorly and accidentally put too much emphasis on the word ‘my’. She heard it but it was too late. “Al, I didn’t mean anything...”

“No, you’re right. It’s your house. You can do whatever you want Ashlyn. Does she need to borrow my truck to move anything?” Ali tried to get past it but her words were clipped and cold and she was getting angry. She spent more time at Ashlyn’s house than she did at her own. She had helped her with every single part of putting the house together, except for the kitchen design before they became friends. She felt possessive of it. But it wasn’t really her house.

“Al, come on. I didn’t mean it like that. You know I wouldn’t have anything in this house if you hadn’t helped me every step of the way. There’d be no house for Whit to move into without you.” Ashlyn tried to dig herself out of the hole she was in, and that’s usually when she screwed up and got in deeper instead. “I should pay you for all the time and energy you put into helping me with this old house...”

There was the shot that set the brunette off. Did Ashlyn really think money had anything to do with why Ali spent so much time helping her with the house? Did she still think of her as a sales rep trying to make a sale? Was that all it meant to the blonde? Just a dollar amount to pay out, like the cleaning lady?

“Are you kidding me right now Ashlyn?” Ali was furious. She stood up. “You are unbelievable.” She said as she looked down at Ashlyn who was holding her head in her hands with her elbows on her knees.

“That’s not what I meant either...” the blonde sat up and started to explain but Ali cut her off.

“Well why don’t you try saying what you mean then! I’d really like to know” Ali spat out hotly. She crossed her arms over her chest as she stood there waiting for a reply.

“Hey! You’re the one that’s mad. I don’t even know why you’re mad Ali. Let’s forget me making it ten times worse and go back to that” the keeper answered back, her voice raised in frustration.

“Do you think I’m here just hoping you’ll buy more fucking windows?! I can’t fucking believe you” Ali yelled and paced over to the window, fuming, and trying to calm herself down so she could get some words out. The blood pounded in her ears and her heart actually hurt as she paced back and forth. She just needed a minute to collect herself...

“Tell me what’s wrong!” Ashlyn yelled in complete exasperation.

“I’m tired of the surprises! I tell you everything and I always feel like I’m the last one to know things around here. It doesn’t feel good” Ali sat down again angrily, willing herself not to cry.

“What surprises? What do you mean?” Ashlyn asked as her brain kicked into a higher speed trying to understand what had her sweet girlfriend so fired up.

“Whit moving in, which I only found out about even now by accident. That’s one. Your vacation was a surprise. There’s another. Mrs. Riley was a surprise and a surprise that I ended up having to deal with too, by the way. What’s that three? The gym was a surprise. Four. The painters were a surprise, again, that I had to deal with. Five...” Ali stopped talking as hot tears started to burn in her eyes.

The blonde listened and tried to get past the petty complaints about having to deal with a couple of the surprises so she could think about what Ali was really upset about. Had she really not involved the brunette in any of those decisions? 

Ali recognized the studious look on the keeper’s face and knew it would take her a few minutes to think through what she had just heard. The brunette got up with a heavy sigh and started to move towards the mudroom.

“Are you leaving?” the blonde asked with panic in her voice as she watched her walk towards the door. Ashlyn’s face looked like she was going to burst into tears any second.

“No, I’m just going to the bathroom” Ali said sadly over her shoulder as she walked through the mudroom to the hall bathroom. She wiped her tears away, peed and then took a few minutes after washing her hands to look at herself in the mirror. She took a deep breath. She knew Ashlyn would never do anything to hurt her on purpose. But if they were going to have a relationship that worked she was going to have to work on communicating with her better. They both would need to do better. Ali already felt better, just having gotten the issue out in the open. She took another deep breath and turned to go back and apologize to her girl. When she opened the bathroom door she was startled to find the keeper standing in the hall waiting for her.

“Ash” she started but the blonde had something she wanted to say.

“Ali I’m sorry.” The keeper stood there wringing her hands and shifting her weight from side to side as she spoke nervously. “You’re right. You tell me about the things in your life and you ask me what I think about them. Like installing the vent in your upstairs bathroom or the weird sound your brakes were making or even the invitations for Syd’s wedding.” Ashlyn’s eyes were big and she still looked like she might cry at any minute. “You did that even when we were just friends. I thought I did it too. Maybe I did, I don’t know.” She put one hand behind her neck and dropped her eyes dejectedly. “But you’re right. Lately I haven’t done that and I’m really sorry.” Ashlyn looked right into Ali’s eyes. “If you’d done that to me I’d feel really hurt and left out.”

The brunette took her by the hand and walked them back into the front living room, muting the tv once they sat down on the couch again. They sat knee to knee in the corner of the sectional couch.

“Thank you for understanding. I feel like a baby but my feelings were hurt. I thought I had it handled with the Mrs. Riley thing but then tonight, when I saw that text from Whitney, it all came back. And the longer I waited for you to say something about it the more it ate at me.” She took a drink of her beer and watched the blonde’s face start to relax a little bit. “I don’t have any right to be upset about what you do with your house Ash. It’s your house and you can have anybody you want live here. You don’t need my permission...”

“But I want to involve you more. I wasn’t trying not to involve you. I wasn’t purposefully keeping things from you Ali. I just forgot I guess” Ashlyn explained, putting both hands on Ali’s knee. “And please tell me you know I didn’t mean paying you for your help with the house in a bad way. I never meant it like that. I know you’re not just trying to sell me windows.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Fuck I say the dumbest things. I know you helped me because you’re the nicest person I know” she rambled.

“Ashlyn” the brunette said and waited until she had the keeper’s attention. “I helped you because I love you. I would do anything to help you. But we’ve got to get better at communicating with each other so we can be better together. Ok?”

The keeper nodded her head and squeezed the brunette’s knee. “Yeah, definitely. Better together. I like the sound of that for sure” she answered and smiled tentatively. A younger Ashlyn would have moved in for a kiss and then advanced things to the bedroom, leaving all of the argument behind. In an effort to do better right that minute the more mature Ashlyn asked Ali how she could have done things differently and they talked about how if Ali had known that Mrs. Riley was supposed to be paid that Monday morning, in cash, she could have gone to the bank and gotten the cash she would have needed to take care of it. Not to mention the fact that Ashlyn hadn’t given her the alarm code to get in. The brunette was careful not to word things like an attack as she gave examples and explained how they both could have been better about exchanging information. It was times like that when Ali was grateful for her experience in sales and negotiation. They were skills that she had learned that allowed her to talk without accidentally hitting a hot button word or innocently using the wrong word at the wrong time. It had been a productive conversation and she was more hopeful than ever about the future they could share. It had been a small fight but they both had learned from it and been able to work through it, together.

“And I’m sorry I yelled” Ali apologized sincerely, holding both of Ashlyn’s hands in hers and locking eyes with her. “You hit a nerve with the paying me for helping you thing and I lost my temper.”

“You’re smart so you’ve probably figured out by now that I say stupid things sometimes. Usually it happens when I’m trying to work something else out in my brain, like tonight. Sometimes it just happens because I can be an idiot. I don’t know. But, what I’m trying to say is that I’m going to say dumb things that are going to piss you off and I’m sorry. If I could figure out how to not do it, believe me, I would not do it” she chuckled softly.

“I love you. Thank you for talking with me about this. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner that it was bothering me. I’ll try and do better too” Ali said and leaned forward to give her a meaningful kiss. As most fights usually did, that one brought them closer together and they both felt that they had strengthened their relationship as a result. 

And their first fight, of course, led to their first make-up sex. Ali’s kiss had slowly turned into a pretty hot make-out session. And that had gotten them were they were at that moment. Ashlyn in joggers and sports bra straddling Ali who was stretched out along the couch, still fully clothed. Her hands were on the blonde’s hips, thumbs stroking the soft skin there. The keeper was grinding in slow circles on top of the brunette’s hips. 

Ali sat up and let Ashlyn pull her shirt off, fondling her breasts and kissing between them while the blonde kept grinding. “Mmm you smell good” Ali mumbled against pale skin.

Ashlyn unhooked and slid Ali’s bra off as she pushed her back down onto the couch. She started enjoying Ali’s breasts, licking the underside of the left one while she rubbed the right nipple to a hard pebble. She took the left one in her mouth and sucked on it hard, making Ali moan and arch her back into it. She tugged on the right one as she ran her teeth over the left nipple. “God I love your breasts. I could love them for hours.”

“Yesss. Feels so good Ash. Mmmmm.” Ali closed her eyes and lifted her hips as she held the keeper’s head against her breast. She finally released her and the blonde sat up to get some air.

“You are so gorgeous Ali”. Ashlyn took a long swig of beer and pulled her bra off over her head.

“Hey, I want some” Ali whined adorably and reached her arms out.

“What? Beer or boobs?”

“Both” Ali massaged both of the blonde’s breasts gently.

“Greedy.” Ashlyn laughed and then moaned, enjoying the feeling of Ali’s strong hands working her up.

Ali sat up and started licking and sucking on them hungrily. She nipped the side of one breast and then soothed it with her tongue while she pinched the other nipple and quickly brought it to attention.

“Did you want some beer, sexy?”

“Mmhmm” Ali released her breast with a pop and reached for the bottle.

“Nuh uh uh. Not so fast” Ashlyn smirked mischievously.

“Come on” Ali whined again as she continued to squeeze one of the blonde’s breasts, making slow, wide circles with her fingertips.

“Open up.”

Ali made a throaty chuckle and tilted her head back, opening her mouth and moving her other hand to cup Ashlyn’s center through her joggers.

The keeper shivered when she felt the brunette’s hand on her core. She poured some beer into Ali’s mouth and groaned as the brunette started moving the hand she had between her legs.

“Good?” she asked as she tilted the bottle back upright, spilling some beer on Ali’s chin and watching it run down the brunette’s neck.

“Yeah, very.” Ali bit her bottom lip.

Ashlyn put the bottle down, leaned in and ran her tongue up Ali’s neck, collecting the spilled beer in one long lick.

Ali crashed their lips together in a powerful kiss. She pushed the keeper back on the couch and pressed their bodies together, moaning into the kiss. They both loved the feeling of excited nipples rubbing against each other and hands roaming everywhere. The kiss continued until they both needed to come up for air.

The brunette moved to straddle one of Ashlyn’s thighs, pushing her own thick thigh into the blonde’s throbbing core. The keeper grabbed the back of Ali’s head and pulled her down into another passionate kiss as they started grinding against each other, moaning loudly. Ali pulled back for a few seconds to catch her breath, then started kissing and licking her way up Ashlyn’s neck and behind her ear. As she trailed the tip of her tongue around the shell of the keeper’s ear she breathed out “I want you. Now.”

The blonde blindly reached down and started to unbutton Ali’s jeans. “Yesss. Mmmmm, you got me.”

Ali kissed her lips again, stood up, and ran her finger under the waistband of the keeper’s pants. Ashlyn lifted her hips so the brunette could pull her joggers and boxer briefs off in one swift motion. Ali bit her bottom lip as she looked down at the pale skin she’d just uncovered. She licked her lips and said “Jesus” when the blonde spread her legs for her, bending her right leg and putting her foot on the floor. 

Ali quickly stripped the rest of her clothes off and knelt down next to the couch, softly running one hand up through Ashlyn’s silky folds. “You’re so wet. God you’re sexy as hell.”

The keeper reached out with her right hand and grabbed Ali’s ass, squeezing it “Ohhh...mmmm...fuck.”

Ali brought her lips to Ashlyn’s mouth, kissing her slowly. She worked her hand around the blonde’s soaked opening, teasing with her fingertips.

“Fuck, Ali” Ashlyn husked out and continued kneading the brunette’s ass, feeling her own excitement rise with every move of Ali’s hand.

“Yeah, you like that?” the brunette asked seductively. She leaned down and took the keeper’s nipple in her mouth, sucking hard while she started tapping on her clit. 

Ashlyn arched her back and started to pant, breathing more heavily. Ali moved her hand away from the blonde’s pussy and ran it up and down the inside of her thighs, causing goosebumps to erupt on her skin. The brunette could feel her own wetness start to spread down her thighs. She squeezed her legs together tightly looking for some relief for her aching core. 

“Are you ready babe?” she purred. 

“Yeah Al” Ashlyn said as she locked eyes with the gorgeous brunette. “I’m so ready.” She bent her left leg up to give Ali better access.

Ali smirked and brought her hand back to the keeper’s dripping core, circling her entrance and spreading her lips a little before slipping two fingers inside, slowly.

Ashlyn moaned loudly and moved her hand down from Ali’s ass to wrap around the inside of her thigh. She pulled the brunette up closer to her and Ali side stepped on her knees, slightly off-balance. 

“I need to feel you too” the blonde said as she reached around Ali’s thigh from behind so she could stroke the brunette’s sopping wet pussy.

Ali moaned and shivered at the touch, temporarily distracted “Unnhhhh. Fuck Ash.”

Ashlyn closed her eyes and reached her left hand behind her to grab the arm of the couch beneath her head as she felt Ali pumping her two fingers more urgently. “Yesss. Like that. Mmmm.” She began thrusting her hips up to meet Ali’s hand between her legs.

The brunette picked up her pace, stroking faster and harder, panting slightly, starting to sweat just a little. She looked at the flush creeping across the keeper’s chest and climbing up her neck as she moved her other hand to Ashlyn’s hips, trying to keep them steady. She lowered her mouth to her clit and sucked gently, circling the sensitive bud and flicking it with her tongue, then sucking again.

“Oh fuck yeah.” The blonde could only haphazardly stroke Ali’s folds, but the brunette was grinding down on her hand, desperate for more friction.

“Unhhh. Uhh. Shit. Mmmmm” Ali moaned into Ashlyn’s sensitive clit. “Jesus Christ” she groaned out and closed her eyes for a few seconds, enjoying the blonde’s fingers trailing through her slick folds.

“I’m close. Mmmm. So close” Ashlyn panted.

Ali moved her left hand to the keeper’s breasts and alternated squeezing and tugging them, rolling one nipple between her fingers and pinching it.

“Ohhhh!”

The brunette’s tongue flicked Ashlyn’s clit a few times more, faster and harder, and the keeper’s whole body stiffened for a second and then she came hard, her pleasure soaking Ali’s hand and face. 

“Yesssss...that’s it.” Ali kept her fingers inside her, moving them slowly as the blonde rode out her orgasm. She left open-mouthed kisses up her belly, through the valley of her breasts, over her collarbone and up the side of her neck. She nuzzled her ear, “I’ve got you.”

Ashlyn covered her face with both of her hands and tried to catch her breath while Ali pulled her fingers out and sucked them clean.

“Mmmmm you taste so fucking good” Ali murmured around her fingers as she straightened up again, watching the keeper’s chest heave.

Ashlyn lowered her right hand to her mouth and licked “So do you, here, taste.” She reached out and Ali took three long fingers into her mouth and worked her tongue around them, sucking gently and moaning quietly at her own taste.

The keeper sat up slowly and put both feet on the floor. “God, you make me so wet. I swear, I’ve never gotten this wet before. I hope we didn’t ruin this couch.”

“Oh shit. Hold on.” Ali got up and came back in with the paper towels from the kitchen. 

Ashlyn took them from her, got on her knees, wiped off the leather couch and smirked. “It would have been worth it.”

Ali stood behind her, clit throbbing, and finished her beer. The blonde turned around, still on her knees in front of the couch, and pulled Ali closer to her. She wrapped her arms around the back of her muscular thighs and kissed Ali’s hips, dragging her tongue across the skin between them as she went and giving an extra swirl around the Nittany Lion tattoo. Ali quivered and put her empty beer bottle down. She lifted one leg up on the couch, bent at the knee, and leaned into Ashlyn, tilting her hips up.

“You are so beautiful. Unbelievable” the keeper mumbled as she brought her mouth to Ali’s clit and sucked lightly. The brunette inhaled and held her breath. Ashlyn took a long, slow lick from the bottom of Ali’s entrance all the way up to her clit and moaned appreciatively.

“You’re so fucking wet. Mmmm. So sweet.”

Ali took the keeper’s head with both hands and pressed against her roughly, holding her head in place. 

“Yessss, I need you now babe. Unnhhhh. Please” Ali begged.

Ashlyn wasted no time. She could tell Ali was worked up and more than ready for her release. She moved closer to the brunette and scooted further underneath her. It was an awkward position but she would get more depth this way once she started thrusting her tongue into her pulsing core. 

“So. Fucking. Wet” she mumbled as she got started, drunk on the scent of her beautiful brunette. Ali’s tight walls pulled her tongue in deeper and she moaned again, exploring as deep as she could.

“Oh fuck. Babe. Yes.” Ali’s head was thrown back, eyes closed. She lowered herself a little, feeling the burn in her thighs, hoping that it would help Ashlyn’s tongue get even deeper. It didn’t though and Ali felt her knees start to buckle as she lost her balance again.

“Woah woah. Easy. Hey, come down here” the blonde said. 

Ashlyn helped Ali sit back on the couch and then she moved up the brunette and captured her mouth in a deep, hot kiss. Ali kissed her back hard, tongue exploring every corner of her mouth. The keeper’s hands were on the brunette’s breasts, kneading and teasing them, as she moved her thigh up between Ali’s legs.

The brunette immediately grabbed the thigh and started humping it, desperate for more contact. 

“Need. More. Fuck” she pleaded.

The blonde slid back down, putting her mouth to work between Ali’s shaking legs again. 

“Come on Ash. Unnnhhh.”

Ali’s knees were bent, her feet on the floor, she pulled her right leg up and out to the side, opening herself up more. Ashlyn helped hold her leg up and started fucking the brunette’s pussy with her tongue again.

“Yeah, ohh, unnhh. Right there” Ali practically grunted out. 

The brunette couldn’t wait any longer. She took one hand and started pinching and tugging on her own breasts. She dragged two fingers of her other hand through her own juices and up to her clit. She circled her sensitive nub, spreading her wetness around, and then started rubbing. 

“Ohhh fuck.”

“Oh my God. Yes Al. You are so fucking hot. Yes” Ashlyn breathed out, completely distracted watching Ali bring herself closer to orgasm. 

She snapped out of it and thrust two fingers inside Ali without warning, not taking her eyes off of the sexy brunette. She thrust fast and deep as the brunette’s walls grabbed at her fingers.

“Fuck! Yes!” Ali yelled out so loudly that the blonde jumped in surprise. 

The brunette’s eyes were closed, head pressed back against the couch, mouth open and twitching slightly. She was rolling and pinching her nipple with one hand and furiously rubbing her clit with the other.  
It was a breathtaking sight and Ashlyn almost lost focus again. 

“Come for me. Come for me baby” she urged in a throaty voice.

“I’m coming! Unhhh. Fuck me!” 

The orgasm ripped through her and her body jerked forward, her head snapping upright and her leg kicking out so hard she almost knocked the keeper over backwards with it. 

“Fuck” she said again, quieter, as she reached down to stop the blonde’s hand that was still inside her, walls tightly clenched around her long fingers. Ali’s chest was heaving and she opened her eyes, trying to catch her breath. 

Ashlyn looked at her lustfully and said “That was the sexiest fucking thing I have ever seen. Goddamn.”

Ali leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips as the keeper removed her drenched fingers from inside her. Ashlyn licked her fingers seductively “So sweet...mmmmm.”

“I need some water. And as soon as I can feel my legs again I’m going to get some” Ali chuckled as she leaned back into the couch. 

“I got it. Don’t move, sexy.” 

The blonde leaned forward and kissed Ali’s stomach as she got up, enjoying how it quivered under her lips. She was back in a minute carrying two bottles of water from the kitchen. She handed one to the brunette and knelt between her legs again, reaching one hand back to lightly squeeze her ass. 

“Thanks.”

“It’s the least I can do after that show you gave me. I will never forget that.” Ashlyn shamelessly licked her lips as she remembered. 

“The things you make me do babe.” Ali blushed and looked at her through lidded eyes. She had never felt so confident or sexy or safe with anybody before. Sex with Ashlyn was something else entirely. “Come here and let me fuck you again, gorgeous.”


	4. Boston Sports

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of those detail chapters that helps set the scene for the whole story. Hopefully the next chapter will be like a thank you for absorbing this one. It will go up tonight too. Happy Thanksgiving!

Breakers training camp opened on Monday March 14th. It was great to see the girls on the team again and welcome the new faces that were trying to make the team. Ashlyn wasn’t at full strength yet but she was getting stronger and fitter every day. She felt sure she would be ready for opening day of the regular season.

Boston was an incredible sports town. The fans knew their stuff, which was great because they usually appreciated the hard work that many of the unsung members of their local teams did to bring championship after championship back to Boston. But the fans knowing their stuff could also be challenging because they weren’t shy about calling out a player who wasn’t giving it their full effort or flat out just wasn’t getting the job done. The athletes on Boston sports teams heard it all and generally enjoyed a mutually respectful relationship with their fans. 

Women’s professional sports wasn’t that big in Boston yet. It was getting better every year but The Breakers hadn’t been a good team in a few years. Worse, they had traded away most of their big name players in deals that really hadn’t panned out. Ashlyn Harris and Whitney Engen had been brought in last season to try and change all of that. But the 2015 season had been terrible and there hadn’t been much to get excited about. Breakers management hired a new coach during the off-season so 2016 was expected to be another year in transition. Nobody wanted to write the season off and call it a rebuilding year though. The new coach, Matt Beard, had been brought in from England to turn the club around just as he had with his Liverpool Ladies FC a couple of seasons ago. He was planning to bring in several players from that successful club to help turn the Breakers back into a winning team. That was one of the reasons Whitney had agreed to sign in Boston. She had played with him for Liverpool back in 2013 and knew he had what it took to win in the NWSL.

But anytime a new coach came in, every player got nervous about being cut. You could be one of the best players on the team but if your style of play didn’t fit what the new coach wanted to do on the pitch then you could be traded or released. Just like that. In their meeting during the first week of training camp the coach had told Ashlyn that she was going to be a big part of his plan for the future. He liked the way she ran the defense on the pitch and orchestrated the backline during games. He was impressed that she had decided to stay up in Boston during the offseason to have her shoulder surgery and do the rehab locally as well. Ashlyn told him she was here for the long haul and hoped to play the rest of her career in Boston. The coach explained to Ashlyn that he expected and needed her to continue being a leader on and off the pitch. He explained that he was naming Whitney team captain for the season because he preferred the captain not be the keeper, they already had enough power and responsibilities as part of their job description. The coach knew that she and Whitney were close friends and he hoped that would help their leadership efforts during the season. He told Ashlyn it was their team and that she and Whitney had his full support.

Ashlyn had become a very popular member of the team in just her first year last season. She won the ‘fan favorite’ end of season award as well as the ‘MVP’ award. That was not something you wanted your goalkeeper to win, but the fans knew that without Ashlyn last season they probably wouldn’t have won any games and they would have given up dozens more goals. Ashlyn had also been nominated as one of the goalkeepers of the year for the league. She hadn’t won, but to be nominated from such a bad team with such a losing record was quite a feat in and of itself. 

She was really starting to make a name for herself in the Boston sports scene. Ashlyn had the magic combination required for successful sponsorship. She was talented on the pitch, she was outgoing and memorable, and she was physically beautiful. Some companies, she knew, stayed away because she was a lesbian. That was their loss as far as she was concerned. She was known for her tattoos and her looks and her style even if people didn’t always know which sport she played. She wasn’t going to be starring in the next David Ortiz and Rob Gronkowski television commercial for Dunkin Donuts or anything, but she was getting sponsorship deals three times as often as she had any other time or place in her career. Her agent had been working on deals for her since she arrived last year and many of them had finally come to fruition. She was a Nike athlete and that was her biggest sponsorship. She didn’t get the deals that the women on the USWNT got but she was the next level down. She was one of the most popular and well known players in the NWSL. She had other sponsorship deals with Johnnie Walker, a protein bar, and a handful of others. She posted a few promo pics on her social media accounts and they paid her. There were local television commercials for a pizza place, a sub and sandwich shop, and a local furniture company. But her most popular publicity had come from some very low-budget television commercials she had done with Hilary Knight from the local pro women’s hockey team, the Boston Pride. Knight was a rock star in women’s hockey. She played on the USWNT and she was the best player in the brand new pro league, the NWHL. The league had just completed its’ first season and there were only four teams in it. But it was growing. 

Mid-way through 2015 Knight and Ashlyn had filmed four different television commercials for a small coffee and donut shop called Betty Sue’s. The company had started thirty years ago as a very small business with one coffee shop up in one of the suburbs on the north shore of Boston. They grew over the years and by 2015 had over thirty shops throughout New England. The gimmick for the coffee shop, at least when it first started, was that they employed nothing but beautiful young women who all wore tight pink Betty Sue’s t-shirts. The joke at the time was that it was the Hooter’s of coffee. However it had started it had grown into the third most popular coffee and donut shop in the whole New England area, behind Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks. There were still lots of beautiful women in Betty Sue’s t-shirts but they had also done numerous campaigns over the years supporting local women’s shelters and women’s rights organizations and other really great women’s causes. Now it was almost tongue-in-cheek. They had reclaimed the joke and turned it into an empowering message about the strength and ingenuity and determination of women working together.

The spots that Knight and Ashlyn had done were different versions of the two of them competing against each other and then ending up visiting a Betty Sue’s together. All the Betty Sue’s were bright pink with almost everything in each coffee shop bright pink too. The first spot they did was a sort of a spoof of these two incredible athletes being introduced to the world of pink coffee shops and the beautiful women who worked there. It was almost like when Dorothy woke up in Munchkinland. There wasn’t a lot of dialogue to mess up and they were fun examples of exercising and competing and staying fit and healthy. Each of the other three spots got funnier and funnier as the women’s personalities began to show through. By the time the fourth one was done Ashlyn had been comfortable enough to get a little flirty and wink at the end. That was by far the most popular one they aired. Everyone in the LGBT world thought it was Ashlyn winking either at the beautiful Betty Sue ladies or even at Hilary Knight. All the straight people thought she was winking at the viewers themselves. Whatever you thought, it worked. 

Ashlyn and Hilary had become friends and often encouraged, congratulated, teased and promoted each other on social media. They had both agreed to do more Betty Sue’s commercials for the 2016 season. They wanted to get more of their teammates involved too, always hoping to promote their small professional leagues any way they could.

The professional success had surprised Ashlyn but she could not have been more appreciative. The work on the house had ended up being more than she had budgeted. She had held off on some things, like furnishing all of the bedrooms, to save money. The NWSL salary was practically a joke and very few of the non-USWNT players could afford to live off of it. The blonde augmented her income through those sponsorships as well as appearances at different soccer camps and programs in the area. She was going to hold her own soccer camp in October. All of those things together allowed Ashlyn to live and play professional soccer without getting another actual paying job. So many of the girls had to do that or had to actually give up playing soccer because they literally couldn’t afford to keep playing. Ashlyn was one of the luckier ones and she knew it.

The basement was finished on schedule the week before training camp started too. Before the end of the month the keeper would have all of the gym equipment moved from the front parlor down to the basement gym. Eventually she was going to get a tv installed on the wall and expand the sound system down there as well. For the time being, it was a more than functional gym that she and Whitney and Ali used daily.

Ashlyn moved the rest of her grandmother’s furniture that she wanted back to the house. There weren’t many really nice things, Lilian had spent her money paying bills for the house, not on fine furniture. The few nice things were a few bookcases, a couple of small tables, the old master bedroom headboard which went into the Whitney’s front bedroom, three dressers, a tall stand-alone mirror and her grandmother’s dressing table which the blonde had already kept where it had always been in the corner of the master bedroom. These things were nice simply because they were old, well-made and well-cared-for. The one truly nice piece of furniture was the Grandfather clock that had always been in the front hall. Ashlyn brought that back and put it where it had spent the last forty or so years. It didn’t work but she would get it repaired eventually. Her own grandfather had loved that clock so much that she knew she had to fix it for him and maintain it as long as she could.

Once the gym equipment had been moved downstairs the keeper set up the front parlor as a sort of homage to her grandparents and the antiquity of the house itself. All of the older furniture went into that room. The three old barrister bookcases and the two small tables took their places among some newer furniture that matched stylistically what Ashlyn was trying to do in the room. It was a comfortable room. The blonde didn’t want it to be a museum. The small two-sided fireplace between the front parlor and the dining room had been cleaned and looked beautiful with two wing back chairs set up in front of it. There was an antique-looking love seat in the bump out bay window with another side chair next to it. That turned out to be one of Ali’s favorite places to sit and read. And Lilian’s stand up piano was back as well, in its’ spot on the interior wall of the front parlor. It was on the list of things to be repaired with the Grandfather clock. Ashlyn knew she couldn’t do everything all at once. She had to be patient.

Whitney had moved into the front bedroom on the second floor, the one above the front living room on the driveway side of the house. She had decided, after a long day of moving furniture from the storage unit where she had kept the furniture from her apartment last season to Gloucester, that the second floor would be just fine. She had her own private bathroom, it was the one that was shared with Meg’s room. Ryan was up for the week to help with the move and also to have a couple of meetings about possible coaching positions for local lacrosse teams. He was staying through the weekend and would fly back to North Carolina Monday afternoon, the first day of Breakers training camp.

Ashlyn loved having Whitney back in her everyday life. And she liked Ryan too. She had known him since college but he and Whitney hadn’t become romantic until several years after they had all graduated. They had both dated other people when they knew each other at UNC but when they reconnected one winter at an alumnae event sparks flew for them. 

Ali wanted to have a dinner party that Saturday night and the keeper enthusiastically agreed. They invited Sydney and Dom and Whitney and Ryan and the three couples spent a wonderful evening together. Nobody was worried about Dom and Ryan getting along because they were both such nice guys. Ali cooked a delicious meal and even let Dom help her in the kitchen. Nobody in their group enjoyed cooking as much as Ali did but Dom was the closest, followed by Whitney. After dinner they moved into the front living room to drink some more and continue talking and sharing stories. Sydney and Ryan talked about coaching. Dom and Ashlyn talked about a new type of foam roller that was supposed to help with muscle recovery. And Whitney and Ali talked about their living arrangements.

“Are you sure it’s ok Ali? I can’t believe she didn’t talk with you about it first” Whitney said and rolled her eyes.

“Of course it’s ok Whit. Are you kidding? I wouldn’t be sitting here if not for you. I owe you everything. As far as I’m concerned, you get whatever you want for the rest of my life” Ali chuckled, but they both knew she meant every word. “And it’s only been a month for us. We still have to figure out how to be a couple. Talking to each other about things was just the first hurdle.”

“Wow, a month.” Whitney shook her head as she watched the brunette smile bashfully. “It seems like you’ve been together forever. Only a month. I can’t get over that” the defender smiled again. “So did she do another big romantic thing for your one month anniversary?”

Ali ducked her head down and lowered her voice. “No, I don’t think she realized it was this past Tuesday. It was a busy day. You guys got here and it was also Meg’s birthday so she had lots of other things on her mind.” 

The brunette looked over at the keeper sitting on the couch rotating her shoulder in what looked like a demonstration of her recovery achievements for Dom’s benefit.

“We never talked about celebrating the little anniversaries anyway. I’m not a huge fan of them to begin with. Maybe six months but other than that...”

“Harris what the hell is up with missing your one month anniversary?!” Whitney interrupted all three conversations with her loud query. She managed to keep a serious look on her face as Ashlyn’s eyes went wide in panic.

“Yeah, what the fuck is up with that?” Sydney chimed in, catching the wink Whitney gave her from across the room.

Ashlyn looked at her beautiful brunette with a pleading look on her face. “Ali I’m so so sorry.” She stood up and walked over to the brunette who was sitting with Whitney on the bench seat in front of the bay window.

Whitney punched her best friend in her left shoulder and moved over by the mudroom doorway to watch the rest of her mischief play out. Ryan and Dom exchanged nervous looks, clearly not in on the joke. 

“Can you forgive me?” Ashlyn asked quietly as she took both of Ali’s hands in hers.

Ali didn’t like the joke. She felt bad for the keeper and squeezed her hands as she leaned forward and kissed her sweetly on the lips.

“It’s ok babe. They’re just busting on you.” Ali gave her another quick kiss and a smile. “But for the record, that face would have worked for sure. I’m in big trouble, I see that now” Ali laughed along with everybody else in the room. Except Ashlyn. She was still trying to work out the anniversary thing.

“But we did miss the one month anniversary” she said quietly to the brunette.

“Oh honey, I don’t care about those little ones.” Ali cupped the blonde’s face with both hands and grinned into it. “I’m here for the big ones. I’m focused on years with you, not months.”

The rest of the room, even Sydney with her sarcastic quips, raised a chorus of sincere “awwws” when they heard Ali’s romantic and heartfelt answer. They watched as the new couple kissed again and then hugged and giggled together.

“So how are you determining the anniversary date anyway?” Sydney asked. “First date? First I love you? First sex?”

“Oooh, excellent question” Whitney asked as she sat down on the couch next to Ryan.

Ashlyn and Ali looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. “I think for us it’s easy because we did it all out of order” Ashlyn chuckled as she explained. “Our anniversary was the eighth, the day we finally said we loved each other.” The keeper spoke confidently, even though she and Ali had never discussed it.

“Yes. Absolutely right babe” Ali agreed happily.

“Ours is our first date” Ryan added, putting his arm around Whitney’s shoulder and giving her a squeeze.

“Yeah, we went the traditional route” Whitney chuckled. “What about you guys?” she asked, looking at Sydney.

Dom and Sydney looked shyly at each other and Ali tried to stifle a giggle but couldn’t quite manage it. Ashlyn and Whitney exchanged a confused look.

“Oh man, they had sex on their first date!” Ryan exclaimed, slapping his hand on his thigh.

Sydney blushed, which was a very rare thing indeed, and went to sit on Dom’s lap. He put his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

“What can I say?” Dom started. “Love at first sight is real and it’s awesome and I’m the luckiest man alive.”

Another chorus of “awwws” filled the room and all three couples kissed for a few minutes.

An hour later things ramped up once Sydney and Dom agreed to sleep over. More wine and booze was poured and they broke out Cards Against Humanity and laughed their asses off. Surprisingly, Ashlyn won the game. She was the only one there who knew Ryan at all. She really was the one who had spent the most time with the most people in the group. Either that or she had just been extraordinarily lucky guessing. 

Sydney and Whitney found themselves in the kitchen together a little while later. Whitney carried in some dirty dessert plates and Sydney had just finished putting leftover pastries and sweets away in the refrigerator. They smiled as they stood next to each other loading the plates into the dishwasher.

“Our babies are good, right?” Sydney said. “I’m so proud of them.”

Whitney chuckled. “Yep. They grow up so fast these days. Luckily they found each other, without any outside interference whatsoever.”

Sydney laughed out loud and raised her hand for a high-five. The defender slapped her five and laughed along with her.

“Took them long enough though, we’re lucky we’re still alive to see it!” Whitney added and laughed again.

“No kidding. Jesus it was painful to watch. But just look at them now.” Sydney’s emotions snuck up on her and happy tears appeared in her eyes. “I’m so happy for them. They’ve got me crying like a baby over here” the coach said quietly.

Whitney stood up after putting the last plate in the dishwasher and gave Sydney a hug. “Me too. But it’ll be our little secret.”

A couple of hours and a heated FIFA PS4 tournament later and people were heading to bed. Ali helped Sydney up the front stairs and towards the guest bedroom. They were both drunk but not totally wasted. 

“Which room do you want?” Ali asked her best friend.

“Oooh I get to pick?”

“Yes ma’am. Totally your call, but hurry up. I have to pee.” They both giggled.

Sydney walked them towards Meg’s room and opened the door. 

“What the fuck happened to my bed?” the coach demanded.

Ali’s face scrunched up in confusion for a minute. “Oh, no, that bed is in the front bedroom now. Ash put two twin beds in here for when Meg actually visits someday.” The brunette steered them back out into the hall. “If you want that bed we need to go to the front bedroom” Ali pointed with her free hand. “Or you can sleep in the fireplace room.”

“No way! The room with the fireplace that you always get?” Sydney clarified loudly.

“Shhhh” Ali giggled. “Yeah, well I graduated to the master bedroom so the guest room can be all yours tonight if you want it.”

“Hell yes I want the fireplace room!”

“Stop yelling you dope” the brunette giggled again and walked them through the door into the guest room. They were surprised to find a small fire lighting the dark room. 

“It’s so beautiful...” Sydney said quietly as she hugged Ali tightly to her side. “Thank you Alibaba.”

“It wasn’t me Syd” Ali said, realizing how it must have happened. “This is thanks to my sweet Ashlyn. Isn’t she amazing?”

“Yeah, she’s alright I guess” Ashlyn said from the doorway behind them. 

Sydney let go of Ali and walked over and hugged the keeper. “Thanks Ash. If you’re half as great as she says you are, you’re pretty great.”

“Thank you Syd. That means a lot coming from you” Ashlyn hugged her back and winked at Ali over the coach’s shoulder.

“You guys. You’re going to make me cry.” Ali came over and put her arms around them, kissing them both on their cheeks.

“Hey now, I didn’t sign up for any of this business” Dom quipped as he stepped into the room with their overnight bag.

Ashlyn took a minute and explained that they didn’t have to do anything to the fire or worry about it. It would probably burn for a couple of hours and then die out. The fire screen would stop any embers from popping out and catching anything on fire. In the nicest way possible she told them to just not touch anything and it would be just fine.

When Ashlyn finally got under the covers that night and reached for Ali she was excited to find the brunette completely naked. Ali rolled on top of the blonde and kissed her soundly.

“Hey baby. This is a nice surprise” Ashlyn teased, wagging her eyebrows.

Ali brought their lips together in a deep slow kiss. “You are the sweetest and I love you” she said softly. “And I’m going to show you just how much I appreciate you being so sweet to my bestie.”


	5. The Nitty Gritty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning

Before they knew it The Breakers were travelling to Jacksonville, FL for their ten day training camp in the warm sunshine. Camp had officially started the week before and they had played one preseason game up in cold, snowy Boston. Everyone was happy to spend time in the nice weather for a change.

The afternoon before the team left for Florida Ali and Ashlyn went to the Gardner for a few hours to sit in the courtyard and walk around the rest of the museum. The keeper brought her sketch book and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the Spanish Cloister, with Ali nearby. On their way home they picked up take-out for an early dinner so they could spend the rest of the evening together more intimately. They had learned their lesson and this time the blonde asked Ali how they should spend the day and they had made their plan together.

Ashlyn really wanted to watch a Hitchcock movie. They hadn’t made time for those in a while and the blonde was eager to get back on track. They set themselves up in the elbow of the sectional couch in the front living room after they had finished eating. Whitney was doing laundry and folding clothes so she could get her packing finished.

“Brought you home some lettuce wraps from The Mandarin Whit” the keeper told her best friend as the defender started the dryer in the mudroom on her last load of laundry.

“You’re the best! Thanks guys.”

“Do you want to watch ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’ with us?” Ali asked her. “It’s one of my favorites. Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day. Very suspenseful.”

“Nah, I don’t want to cramp your style” Whitney answered. “Thanks though.”

“You’re not cramping our style goofball. When we want to have sex we’ll go upstairs” Ashlyn teased and got a smack from Ali at the same time.

Ali knew that Whitney knew that they had sex. But Ali didn’t always like that Whitney knew exactly when or how often they were having sex. Maybe leaving a little bit to the imagination wasn’t such a bad thing. Ashlyn didn’t care and had never cared about her privacy when it came to Whitney. The defender sometimes wished the keeper had a few more boundaries, but she knew it was really the ultimate compliment she could get from her best friend. Ashlyn trusted her so much that she almost had no filter around Whitney.

“Seriously Whit. If you want to watch the movie with us we’d love it” Ali said sincerely.

“I’m going to make popcorn. You want anything else hon?” Ashlyn asked Ali as she got up off the couch. “Whit you want your lettuce wraps?”

Ten minutes later they started the movie. Ali and Ashlyn were stretched out together on one half of the couch, popcorn bowl on Ali’s lap. And Whitney was on the other end of the couch eating lettuce wraps at the coffee table.

“Wow, that was really good” Whitney enthused after the movie ended. “That orchestra scene at the end was awesome.”

Ali just sat there with a big grin on her face. She loved when the people she cared about liked something that she already loved.

“That’s the first time I haven’t wanted the blonde lead to be Grace Kelly” Ashlyn added. “Doris Day was perfect for that, right?”

“She was a star in her own right. She wasn’t one of Hitch’s undiscovered wonders. I love her in this movie” Ali added.

“And that song, ‘Que Sera, Sera’. I’m going to have that in my head for days now.” Whitney spoke as she stood and cleaned up her dinner mess. “Thanks for the movie gals” she said as she took their empty popcorn bowl to the kitchen with her.

“Glad you liked it” Ali smiled up at her.

“Alright we’re going upstairs, if you know what I mean” Ashlyn said and wagged her eyebrows. Whitney groaned and rolled her eyes and Ali swatted the keeper’s arm again.

“Ashlyn” the brunette said quietly and slightly annoyed. “You’re embarrassing me.”

“I’m sorry baby. Does that really bother you?” Ashlyn looked at her girlfriend and tilted her head as if the idea had really just occurred to her.

“Let’s talk about it upstairs” Ali said as they got up off the couch. “Night Whit” she called after the defender who was already in the mudroom on her way to the kitchen.

“Night guys” Whitney yelled back.

//

They had a pretty straightforward discussion about Ali’s discomfort with Whitney knowing exactly when they were having sex. 

“I don’t get what the big deal is. She has sex too you know” Ashlyn said lightly, not sure exactly how much trouble she was in.

“It’s not a big deal Ash” Ali began as she closed the master bedroom door behind her and walked towards the master bathroom to get ready for bed. “It just makes me uncomfortable. She’s your best friend and you can tell her whatever you want to, obviously. But I’m just asking you not to do it in front of me because it embarrasses me.” 

The brunette washed her hands and took her contacts out as Ashlyn leaned against the doorway watching her. She could tell that the blonde was processing her words, trying to understand her point of view. Ali put her hair up in a messy bun and washed her face in the sink closest to the tub. When she turned the water off and dried her face on the towel next to her she looked at the keeper.

“Are you still thinking or are you just staring at my ass again?” the brunette teased.

“Yes” Ashlyn deadpanned and smirked.

Ali rolled her eyes playfully and reached for her face moisturizer as the blonde stepped to the vanity and removed her own contacts.

“I guess I get it, but now I’m wondering how I’m going to watch everything I say all the time. I’ll try my best but you know I’m going to forget sometimes...”

“Babe, I don’t want you to watch what you say all the time. I don’t want you to edit everything before you speak. God, that’d be horrible.” Ali said and spread the cream into her face. “Only sex. I’d just like to keep that private, between us. Is that ok?” 

Ashlyn put her hair up and washed her face in the other sink while Ali squeezed toothpaste onto her toothbrush and started brushing her teeth. The blonde tried to think of a single time that Ali had talked about them having sex with anybody else in Ashlyn’s presence. She couldn’t. 

“I forget how shy you can be sometimes” the keeper said after drying her face off. She looked at Ali in the big mirror in front of them and smiled softly as their eyes met. The brunette, toothbrush in her mouth, lovingly batted her eyelashes back at the keeper. “You share a lot with me so I forget, but you do like to keep things private. I can respect that. Like, you don’t want me to know when you poop.” Ashlyn was trying to illustrate her understanding of Ali’s concerns and innocently used the best example she could think of. 

Ali started coughing and choking on her mouth full of toothpaste as she blushed deep red. She spit the toothpaste out and sipped some water from the tap as her eyes watered from choking. They hadn’t talked about this before. They had only been together for six weeks and they hadn’t had to face the nitty gritty details of shared spaces yet. 

“I...how did...when...” the brunette wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and looked into the sink, still deeply embarrassed.

Ashlyn watched the whole scene with complete bewilderment. What the fuck was happening now? 

“I’m sorry Ali. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. Again.” 

Ashlyn took a step towards her and pulled her into a hug. Ali covered her face with her hands and kept her head down as she pressed it into the blonde’s chest. She felt Ashlyn wrap her arms around her and kiss the top of her head.

“I know we haven’t talked about any of that stuff yet but, I don’t know, we’ve been so close for so long that it feels like we should be past all of that awkwardness by now. At least that’s how it feels to me” the keeper said evenly, talking above the brunette’s head. “But I guess I had to get over it sooner than you because you had to help me use the bathroom for a whole week for God’s sake. You still had your privacy” Ashlyn chuckled.

The blonde’s chuckle made Ali giggle and she moved her arms to wrap around Ashlyn’s waist and hug her tightly. She turned her head to the side and let out a heavy sigh.

“You’re right. I never thought about it like that. You gave up your privacy to me two months ago. You didn’t have a choice, but still...”

“And we weren’t even having sex then” Ashlyn interrupted and chuckled again.

“Listen, I’m not a prude or a nun or anything like that. I hope you know that about me by now” the brunette quirked an eyebrow at Ashlyn as she pulled back to face her. “But I am more reserved about some things than you are. And that means with other people and with you I guess.” 

Ashlyn tilted her head and tried desperately not to laugh as Ali struggled with this conversation. She was so cute and adorable and embarrassed. She was trying to look anyplace but at Ashlyn’s face as she kept trying to explain. 

“With other people I’d rather keep my sex life private. And also my bathroom habits. I don’t think either of those requests are unusual at all. Do you?” she asked, looking at the blonde for the first time in several minutes.

“No. Not at all.”

“Like I said, you can talk about whatever you want with Whit or Liz or whomever, just try not to do it in front of me, ok?”

“Got it” Ashlyn said and kissed her forehead sweetly.

“And with you, I don’t know,” she was mumbling and blushing again as she dropped her eyes and tried to speak. “Yeah, there are some things I don’t really want you to know about. Well, really only one.” 

Ali tried to break the hug and get back to getting ready for bed but Ashlyn held onto her, not wanting to let her off the hook so easily.

“And that would be?...”

The brunette rolled her eyes and shot Ashlyn a warning look.

“What would it be?...” the keeper persisted.

“Fine, I don’t think there’s anything romantic about going to the bathroom. I just don’t think it ever needs to be discussed. Peeing is fine – I don’t care about peeing at all. But yes, I feel just as uncomfortable with you knowing I’m pooping as I do with Whitney knowing we’re having sex. There, I said it. Are you happy now?” Ali glared at the keeper. She wasn’t angry as much as she just wanted this horrible conversation to be over.

“Aww don’t get mad. I’m just teasing you a little. You’re so freaking cute I can’t stand it. Come here.”

The blonde pulled her agitated girlfriend into another hug and then leaned back to kiss her lightly on the lips. She hugged her tightly and swung her side to side until they were both giggling.

“Alright then. I’ve got it” Ashlyn said as they stopped swinging but kept hugging for another minute. “You are definitely more discreet than I am. I get it. I won’t talk about having sex with you in front of you anymore. And I’ll keep pretending that you don’t poop. Ok?” she pulled back to look at her beautiful brunette. “Anything else? Do we need to go over rules for clipping toenails and picking your nose too?”

Ali smacked her on her ass, hard, and left the bathroom in a huff. But Ashlyn knew she was smiling, she had seen it in the mirror as she had stormed out. The keeper went to the doorway and teased her some more.

“What happens when you accidentally toot in front of me? Is there a penalty or something? Can I collect a fine?”

Ali groaned and threw herself face down on the bed shaking her head and smiling into the comforter. Ashlyn took two steps into the room and launched one last missile.

“So I guess this means anal is out of the question then?”

Ali felt herself blush again and rolled over onto her back, covering her face with her forearms. Ashlyn giggled, pleased with herself, and ran towards the bed. She jumped and landed on top of her girlfriend, bracing herself with her elbows on the bed so she didn’t crush the brunette. But Ali didn’t move. The keeper could see that her mouth was set in a tight-lipped half-grin half-grimace and her neck and cheeks were pink. Ashlyn tapped on the brunette’s forearms that covered her face.

“Hello, anybody in there?”

The blonde leaned down and kissed her lips softly. Still no reply. She placed warm kisses across Ali’s strong jawline and down her neck. She crossed back over her collar bone to the other side of her neck and nipped her pulse point once.

“Too bad nobody’s in there...” she teased again, tapping the brunette’s forearm again lightly.

Ashlyn kissed both of Ali’s breasts through her thin sweatshirt while she used both hands to push it, and the t-shirt under it, up just above the bottom of her ribcage. She moved her mouth down to the brunette’s stomach, the soft bare skin warm and inviting. The blonde pressed fairly innocent kisses all around the toned abs, then travelled from one hip to the other. Ashlyn had discovered that the brunette had an extra sensitive spot above her left hip. It was really her lower stomach, almost in the same place as her Penn State tattoo was, but on the other side. No matter what level of turned on Ali was, if the keeper ghosted the skin there with her lips or her tongue or her fingers just right, it would instantly send the brunette into a whole other level. The night of their first date, when they were dancing in the kitchen after dinner, Ashlyn had innocently started rubbing that spot with her thumb. Ali had told her later that she had been so turned on by the date and the dancing and the kissing that when the blonde found that sensitive spot she had practically had an orgasm right then and there. Ashlyn would skip that spot for the moment and come back to it.

The keeper kissed down her thigh, over the leggings she wore, and moved lower to her knee and then her calf. She also knew that the brunette wasn’t a big foot fan so she moved over to her other calf and kissed her way back up. No need to make her more uncomfortable than she already was. Ashlyn would teach her to love her own beautiful feet another day. She placed some of the kisses inside the leg and some of them on the outside. Ashlyn accidentally brushed her own chest, also still covered by a lightweight sweatshirt, across the leg closest to her as she reached for the outside of the muscular thigh on the far side of her. She felt the leg twitch beneath her breasts and thought she heard Ali’s breath hitch. The keeper smiled to herself, then sat up and took her sweatshirt and t-shirt off so she was naked from the waist up. She dragged her bare breasts up across the top of Ali’s thigh and over her lower abdomen. She was positive she heard the brunette’s breath catch that time. Her own nipples hardened immediately in response to the warm skin beneath them. Ashlyn licked her lips and moved a little higher. She lightly touched the brunette’s super sensitive spot with her stiff nipple and watched as Ali’s stomach exploded in goosebumps. She circled the spot with her nipple and the brunette’s hips jerked up.

“Oh so somebody is in there...” Ashlyn said again quietly as she moved up the brunette’s body. It was killing her not to use her hands but she was committed and wasn’t going to give in yet. “Anybody want to come out and play yet?” she cooed sweetly before bringing their lips together again. This time when she started to pull away she sucked Ali’s bottom lip into her mouth and licked it before letting it go. Ali’s mouth stayed open, trying to breath, as her chest started moving up and down faster. The blonde lowered her naked breasts onto her stomach again and Ali’s arms grabbed the keeper’s sides and pulled her up as her eyes flew open, dark and hazy with lust. Her nostrils flared and she lifted her head to meet Ashlyn’s lips in a fiery kiss. Their tongues dueled and the blonde moaned as she let her beautiful brunette take control.

Ali lifted her hips and pushed her leggings and panties down as far as she could without breaking the kiss or making the blonde move. She brought one arm up and held Ashlyn’s head in place, deepening the kiss, lungs starting to ache for air. She used her other hand to try and get the leggings off before Ashlyn finally helped her get them down to her ankles. The brunette kicked them off the foot of the bed when they finally broke the kiss to breathe. They both sucked in air as they stared into each other’s eyes. They each saw the same thing reflected back, pure desire was foremost but there was love and trust as well. The only difference was that there was just the hint of amusement left over in Ashlyn’s dark hazel eyes.

The brunette felt like she was on fire. The slow teasing kisses had stoked that fire into an inferno and she was close to that dizzying overwhelming place where she usually did something stupid or stopped altogether. This time though was different. This time she pushed past the fear and dove headlong into whatever came after it. Ali flipped their positions so the keeper was flat on her back with the passionate brunette on top of her, lips crashed together in another hard deep kiss. Their teeth hit as the kiss started and that would normally have made Ali pump the brakes. But she didn’t even slow down this time. She devoured Ashlyn with her mouth and tongue and lips and teeth. The keeper put both hands on the brunette’s bare ass and squeezed and tugged it, surprising Ali and making her pull back from the kiss momentarily. They locked eyes again, both women panting. The brunette sat up and ripped her sweatshirt and t-shirt off of her body and threw them across the room. She put both hands on Ashlyn’s breasts and started massaging them roughly, bringing her lips down to the nipples to suck the already stiff buds.

“Fuck Ali. Jesus Christ.”

Ashlyn groaned and felt a wave of passion rise between her legs. She moved her thighs together trying to find some friction for her aching core. The seam of her joggers was almost in the right spot to hit her needy clit, but not quite. She groaned again, this time in frustration, and tried to reach her hand between their bodies to get some relief.

The brunette sat up and admired her work on the keeper’s breasts. They were wet and riddled with red marks and the nipples were erect and reddish pink and gorgeous. She felt a gush in her center and a jolt run up her spine at the same time. She realized that Ashlyn’s hand was trying to get to her own clit and she smacked it away. Ashlyn had never seen Ali this aggressive before and it turned her on more than she could possibly have imagined it would. She was always sexy but this was a whole other level.

“Oh my fucking God babe” the keeper husked out.

Ali was grinding on Ashlyn’s mound, soaking her joggers, while her hands rolled and pinched the blonde’s nipples. The brunette’s eyes were lidded so heavily they were almost closed and her chest and neck and cheeks were flushed as she moved her hips and bit her lower lip.

“Mmmmm” was all she could say. She was so worked up she couldn’t even form words anymore.

Ashlyn moved one of her hands to the brunette’s breasts and started rubbing and tugging on her stiff nipples. She kept the other hand firmly on that sexy ass that made her crazy with lust. Ali leaned into her hand with her breast, pushing for more pressure there. Ashlyn tugged and pinched harder, making the brunette gasp, her mouth open wide.

Ali’s head was spinning and she needed her clit tended to. She brought one of her own hands down and started spreading some of her passion around the sensitive bud, lowering herself even more. Ashlyn watched, mesmerized for a minute. As much as she loved touching the brunette there was something incredibly erotic and sexy about watching her touch herself. It was becoming one of the blonde’s favorite things. She snapped out of her daze and put both hands on Ali’s ass again. She pulled her up so she straddled her stomach causing Ali to look down and try to focus on the keeper’s face. She moved her hand back to her clit again. And Ashlyn’s strong arms brought her up higher with another pull. Ali’s center was now up near Ashlyn’s breasts, her knees right in the blonde’s armpits. The brunette blinked her eyes and looked at her love below her.

“Come up here so I can fuck you with my tongue” the keeper instructed, slowly licking her lips for emphasis. 

Ali’s pussy was so close to her now that Ashlyn could smell her passion and it was driving her wild. The brunette hesitated and the keeper thought she saw doubt or fear flash in her beautiful chocolate eyes. They hadn’t done this together yet but surely the brunette had fucked somebody’s face before, right?

“Trust me baby, it’ll be good. I promise.”

Ashlyn nudged her again with her hands on her ass and Ali moved up and tentatively straddled the blonde’s face.

“I’ve never...” Ali started softly.

“It’s ok. I eat you out and you grind and do whatever you want up there.” 

The keeper put her hands on Ali’s hips and guided her lower and lower until her face was buried in her delicious folds, juices covering half her face immediately.

“Oh fuck yeah. Mmmmmm.” Ashlyn grunted and moaned as she started to lick every inch of the brunette’s dripping pussy. She couldn’t get enough, she was desperate to taste her again and again.

Ali closed her eyes as she relaxed into the new position. Holy fuck did that feel good. She was worried about hurting or even suffocating Ashlyn so she couldn’t really just let go. But goddamn that felt good. As she got more comfortable she started to rock her hips. She got carried away and ground down against the blonde’s face and then pulled herself up, afraid.

“Baby I swear you’re not going to hurt me” Ashlyn soothed, reading her mind. “I’ve got you up here” she tapped Ali’s hips with her strong hands. “You can just let go and enjoy the ride. I promise.”

The brunette’s trust in her girlfriend won her internal debate and she let Ashlyn lower her down onto her face again. They started moving together once more and the keeper squeezed her hips reassuringly, met her eyes and nodded her head. Ali went with it and didn’t hesitate again. She trusted her keeper.

Just as they found a good rhythm and Ali started to relax into it again Ashlyn drove her tongue deep inside her core. Ali’s eyes opened wide and she held her breath as the blonde grinned up at her. 

“Fuck, yesss” the brunette groaned out as she started working on her own breasts. 

She moved with Ashlyn’s tongue and if she leaned forward just a bit the keeper’s nose would hit her clit every other thrust. She rolled her own nipples, pinching and tugging to bring herself right up to the edge.

“Oh Ash...so...fuck...close...”

The blonde watched as Ali closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip, dropping her chin to her chest. Ashlyn brought her right hand up and ran two fingers through the brunette’s folds, around her tongue. She started rubbing Ali’s clit with those fingers as she picked up the pace thrusting her tongue as deep as she could into her throbbing pussy. She could tell Ali was close because her walls had started to grab at her tongue and she was panting above her. 

“Oh my God, oh...”

The keeper squeezed Ali’s ass hard with one hand, rubbed her clit faster with her other hand and, a few seconds later, pushed the brunette over the edge into oblivion. 

The orgasm was incredibly strong and it held Ali perfectly still for a second before taking over her body with spasm after spasm of pleasure. The brunette cried out Ashlyn’s name as she came and collapsed forward, lifting one knee and rolling off of the keeper in a heap. Ali lay there, on her side, dazed as she recovered. Sydney was right, that was hot as hell. Where the fuck had that been all her life? Well she knew the answer. She had never trusted anyone enough before to try anything too different in bed. Certainly not Emily. She probably would have trusted Sarah but Ali knew there was a part of her that she kept closed off from the architect. The part that she knew was just for Ashlyn, for her love. It had been a few minutes and the brunette realized she wasn’t touching the keeper with any part of her body. That was what felt so strange. And the bed was rocking a little bit. What was happening? She opened her eyes and felt another twinge in her core when she saw the blonde a foot away from her on the bed. Both of her knees were bent and she was pumping one hand into herself and rubbing her own clit with the other. Her back was arched and her mouth was open and twitching a little bit.

“Ashlyn” the brunette breathed out.

She quickly moved over and replaced the blonde’s hands with her own. The keeper was too far gone to start over but Ali wanted to bring her home. She began thrusting two fingers into her girlfriend as deep as she could while she brought her mouth down onto her swollen clit and sucked on it. Ashlyn’s walls were already starting to squeeze her fingers. How long had she been out after her orgasm? 

“Yeah baby. So fucking good. Mmmmm” Ashlyn moaned as she buried her fingers in brunette locks and pulled lightly.

Ali reached up with her free hand and played with the keeper’s beautiful breasts. She squeezed them and then rolled and pinched the nipples, alternating from one to the other.

“Oh fuck you feel good inside me.”

“Mmmmmmm” Ali moaned into the blonde’s folds as she licked and then moved back up to her clit. 

Ashlyn was panting and tugging on one of her own breasts. The brunette pumped faster, angling up to hit her g-spot. She moved her tongue back and forth across the keeper’s clit, increasing the strength and speed. Two or three more flicks with her strong tongue and a hard pinch to the blonde’s nipple and Ashlyn found her release.

“Yessssss” she hissed out as the pleasure rolled over her and her body shook. 

Ali couldn’t imagine anything sexier than her keeper coming all over her like that, drenching her face and fingers. It made her pussy ache and her clit throb. She slowly moved her fingers inside the blonde as she came down from her high. She licked up as much of the passion from Ashlyn’s thighs and folds as she could before the keeper got too sensitive. The brunette rested her head on Ashlyn’s thigh, facing her sensitive center. This was one of Ali’s favorite spots, her torso tangled between the keeper’s long legs. She loved lying there watching Ashlyn recover and she could stay like that for hours. She couldn’t imagine anything more intimate or beautiful.

“Are you ok down there?” Ashlyn asked after her breathing had steadied a few minutes later.

“More than” the brunette answered softly. “How about you?”

The blonde reached for Ali’s hand and interlocked their fingers. She propped herself up with another pillow so she could see her sexy girlfriend better.

“I’m fucking fabulous. That was incredible. You are so fucking hot” Ashlyn gave the brunette a heated look that made her blush and look away. “Just when I think you can’t be any more fucking sexy and boom there you go being all dominant and bossy. Fuck that was hot Al.”

The compliment meant everything to the brunette. She had let herself go like never before and Ashlyn had carried her safely up the mountain of ecstasy and then back down the other side. Ali knew sex would be good with the keeper but she had no idea how good it could be. Her experiences in the past were mostly positive but she had never felt safe like this before. It was empowering and a complete fucking turn on. And the best part was that she felt like this was just the beginning. Ali smiled as she thought about all the amazing sex she would have with this incredible woman.

“How come I can’t remember taking your pants off?” Ali asked.

Ashlyn chuckled. “Um, because you didn’t.”

“What do you mean? Did I fall asleep or something?”

“No baby, you just sort of took a time out. Don’t worry though, I made sure you were still alive before I got back to work.” Ashlyn chuckled again.

“I’m so sorry Ash. I don’t know what happened.”

Ashlyn sat up and pulled the brunette up to cuddle with her.

“Don’t ever apologize for having an orgasm so big it knocks you out for a couple of minutes. That’s a win in my book.” Ashlyn kissed Ali gently as the brunette snuggled into her side.

“I’ve never done that before, or the knocked out thing either” Ali admitted as she wrapped her arm around the keeper’s stomach.

“Well what did you think?”

“I was afraid I was going to hurt you or suffocate you” Ali said shyly. “But as soon as I thought that, you knew and answered me before I even knew how to ask.” She leaned up and kissed Ashlyn’s jaw. “And I know I haven’t had a ton of experience so this might not mean much, but you are really really good Ashlyn.”

“Thank you for trusting me. I think that’s the key to everything, for me anyway” the blonde said sincerely.

They snuggled for several minutes, caressing and holding each other. 

“Want to know a secret?” Ashlyn asked quietly.

Ali kissed her cheek and said “Yes.”

“That was something I’ve thought about before. You, on my face.”

“Oh yeah? Was it in a dream like mine?” Ali threw her leg across the keeper’s hips and pulled herself in closer to the blonde’s side. 

Ashlyn blushed. “Umm, no not really.”

“Are you being shy right now?” Ali looked up at her favorite face. “Oh my God you’re blushing.” She leaned up and kissed her cheek again, this time leaving her lips in place for almost a full minute as the keeper nuzzled against them. “You know you can tell me anything” she said after pulling her lips away from Ashlyn’s cheek.

“It was more like a fantasy I guess. It was hot, I remember that for sure” Ashlyn chuckled. “But not even close to the real thing.”

“I spent a lot of time fantasizing about you too” Ali confided. “And, for the record, next time we do that will be even better because we won’t waste time with you having to convince me. I’m sold.” She stroked the blonde’s cheek and ran her finger across her lip. “And I want to try it too, I mean, switch places.”

“Absolutely” the keeper agreed, massaging Ali’s thigh that was across her hips. “Are there other things you’ve thought about doing or want to try?” Ashlyn asked the million dollar question they were both looking forward to and dreading at the same time. They were both quiet for a couple of minutes, their hands patiently moving around soft bare skin.

“I’ve never really done anything besides the basics I guess” Ali answered shyly. “But I’d try anything you want, I think.”

There was the honesty that Ashlyn loved so much in the brunette. Damn she was brave. Even now, when they were talking about the one thing that she, apparently, wasn’t completely confident about all the time. The blonde knew that there would never be something that they couldn’t talk about together. It might not be easy, but they would trust each other and talk about whatever it was together.

“That goes for me too baby. Well, the try anything you want part” Ashlyn clarified. “I’ve done different things, nothing too crazy. But,” she paused for a minute, thinking, “I can’t think of anything that I’d say no to if you asked.” 

Ashlyn picked up one of Ali’s hands and brought it to her lips, nuzzled it and then kissed it. They were quiet again for several minutes.

“We don’t have to talk about it right now if you don’t want...” Ashlyn said at the exact same time that Ali finally mustered the strength and spoke up too...

“Do you really like anal?”

“What?” Ashlyn asked, not sure she had heard the brunette correctly.

“Nothing, never mind” Ali said quickly.

“No, no, don’t do that Al. I always want to know what you’re thinking and what you’re wondering about.” Ashlyn cupped the brunette’s face, leaned down and kissed her lips slowly. “I was just thinking a few minutes ago about how honest and brave you are and how you make me talk about things even if I don’t realize we need to. We’re going to handle this, our sex, just like everything else. We’ll talk about it and be honest about it and trust each other with it.” She kissed her lips again. “You’re the one teaching me how to do that Ali, and I can’t think of a more important place to do it than here in our bed.”

“I love you” the brunette said, her voice full of emotion, as she brought their lips together again.

“I love you too.” Ashlyn smiled adoringly at her girlfriend. “And I was just teasing you before about anal. I was trying to be funny. I’ve never done it actually, not really anyway. But we can talk about it...”

“No, that’s ok” Ali chuckled. “I mean, if it was important to you I’d find a way to make it work I guess...”

“No, not important to me. If that changes I’ll let you know. But don’t worry about it baby.”

“Are you sure? You’re not just trying to be sweet to me and pretend you’re not into it? Because I don’t want you to not get something that you really want...”

“I promise. I was only making a joke earlier. Ok?” Ashlyn hugged her close.

“Ok.” 

Ali couldn’t help but be relieved. She would never say never, especially with Ashlyn, but that was not anywhere near the top of her list of things to try with the sexy blonde.

“Good. Good talk baby” the keeper said and kissed her meaningfully, running her hand along the back of her powerful thigh. Ali deepened the kiss and moaned into the blonde’s mouth as they made out.

“God I love kissing you” Ali said breathlessly as she climbed on top of the keeper again. “I can’t believe I have to go without kissing you for ten more days” she whined. “I don’t know how I’m going to survive again.”

“Let’s just focus on the next ten hours instead” Ashlyn suggested as she flipped Ali over onto her back and gave her another passionate kiss.


	6. Happy Easter

The Breakers left for Florida the next day and Ashlyn had no idea that it would really only be three days before she would see her beautiful brunette again. Ali had checked with Whitney to make sure that it would be ok if Ashlyn spent some time with her family on Saturday and then on Easter Sunday. The Breakers had a preseason game on Friday so Saturday would be mostly a recovery day anyway. The keeper wasn’t playing yet but she was at every training and at every preseason game in addition to doing her rehab and conditioning work so she could get back onto the pitch. They were going to start her in the last preseason game up in Boston on April 8th. Whitney assured Ali that it wouldn’t be a big deal. The team tried to make allowances for team members when they travelled to their home towns. Everybody knew how important family was. Ashlyn would need to be at a couple of team meetings and then get her workouts in that weekend, but other than that she could hang out with her family.

Ali booked rooms for their families in the same hotel the team was staying at in Jacksonville so it would be easier for Ashlyn to be where she needed to be. The only exception was the reservation for Easter brunch. The brunette, after talking with Whitney, decided to make that at a restaurant nearby but not at the hotel. That way the keeper could get away from the team, and cheat on her training camp diet if she wanted to. And the rest of the team wouldn’t have to see Ashlyn’s family enjoying so many foods they weren’t supposed to have. Ali wanted Whitney to join them for brunch but the defender had declined. The reservation was made including a spot for Whitney anyway. Ali would have Ashlyn do the final convincing on Saturday. Whitney had been part of the Harris family for years and Ali knew they would talk her into joining them on Easter.

The temptation for Ali to fly down Friday and go to the game was strong, but she knew that Ashlyn had a team meeting Saturday morning and she didn’t want to be a distraction. The keeper was a team leader and the brunette knew it was important to her to set a good example. Ali also knew that it would kill her to sleep in the same hotel Friday night and not be able to share the blonde’s bed. Plus, it lessened the surprise planned for Saturday after the team meeting.

Chris and Beth picked up Tammye and made the two and a half hour drive up to Jacksonville early Saturday morning. Mike and Gram followed after stopping at Gram’s church to deliver a backseat full of food for the Easter potluck the next day. Ordinarily the Harris clan would have driven up to Jacksonville to watch Ashlyn’s game Friday night and then again the following Wednesday but the keeper had told them she definitely wouldn’t be playing and not to bother. She had just visited Satellite Beach for a week at the end of February anyway. She also told them that she would try and get some time off on Easter and drive down to see them.

Deb and Mike flew up from Miami and met Ali at the airport Saturday morning as well. Ali took time during the cab ride to the hotel to remind them both about the Harris family history that she knew. She was nervous for her family to meet Ashlyn’s family. They were so different in so many ways and she just wanted them to get along. Ali had talked with her mom many times about the surprise trip and Deb knew her daughter was worried about the family gathering. 

“Are you worried about us liking them or them liking us?” Deb teased her daughter from the middle seat in the back of the cab.

“Both” Ali answered as her mother put her arm around her shoulders and squeezed.

“Well I’m sure we have more in common than you think Alex. Try not to worry so much honey. We won’t embarrass you too much” she teased again. 

Ali put her head on her mother’s shoulder and whined “Mommm.”

Deb chuckled and then got serious. “Truth is, it doesn’t matter whether they like us or we like them. All that matters is that you and Ashlyn like each other. Right?”

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks Mom.”

//

The Saturday morning team meeting had just finished and most of the players had already left the meeting room to go to their recovery work outs. The coach had asked Whitney and Ashlyn to stay behind.

“Engen, Harris, listen there’s some sort of problem with one of the players’ family. They’re here in the hotel and I don’t have time to go and deal with it.”

Whitney and Ashlyn looked at each other, confused and concerned.

“What do you mean Coach?” Ashlyn asked.

“I don’t know Harris, if I knew what the problem was I might be able to fix it” the coach growled back. “I need you to go down to the lobby and find out what the hell is going on. Go to the front desk and they’ll direct you to the family. Got it?”

“Sure thing Coach” Whitney answered and discreetly winked at the coach.

As they crossed the lobby and walked towards the front desk, Whitney subtly nodded at the manager standing there behind the counter. The manager stepped up and asked what she could help them with. Ashlyn explained what little she knew and the manager told them about this loud obnoxious family that had barged in and demanded to see their player. The manager told the family that they weren’t allowed to give out room or guest information and they got extremely upset and started causing a scene. 

“What player are they with?” Ashlyn asked.

“Honestly, they were difficult to understand. I’m not sure English is their first language. And they were yelling so much...”

“Where are they now?” Whitney inquired, shooting Ashlyn a nervous look.

“I had security escort them to conference room A” she nodded across the lobby to the hall near the elevators. “First room on your right.” The manager looked at them and leaned forward, lowering her voice, “Is it just the two of you going in there?”

Ashlyn looked at Whitney and swallowed hard as they turned away from the front desk and started slowly walking across the lobby.

“What the fuck Whit? Who the hell could this possibly be?” Ashlyn’s voice was tense and her eyes were wide.

Many of the players’ families did come and visit during the Florida training camp. The weather was nice and they scheduled their vacations so they could be there. There were only two international players with the squad and Ashlyn couldn’t imagine Lolo Schillgard or Kyah Simon’s families even being there, forget about making a scene. She only thought of them at all because the manager had said English wasn’t their first language. Her mind raced trying to figure out the mystery. Just then, Cat Whitehill came around the corner from the hallway they were about to head into. Cat had retired during the off-season and was back with the team as an assistant coach, specializing on defense of course. Cat’s eyes practically popped out of her head as she approached Ashlyn and Whitney.

“What the hell is all that ruckus about? Who the hell are those crazy people?” she asked with a look of panic on her face. “You’d better get in there and get it straightened out. Then I want to see you in the pool for recovery Engen.”

“Got it coach” Whitney replied as Cat winked at her and walked over to the elevators. 

“Alright Ash, let’s do this. It’s not going to get any easier.” Whitney walked towards the door and knocked on it four times.

A deep loud voice yelled from the other side of the door, “Yeah, who is it? Just so you know we called our lawyer. We know our rights!”

Ashlyn’s eyes went wide again and she silently mouthed “Fucking hell!” at Whitney.

“On three” the defender whispered, her hand on the door handle ready to open the door.

“One...two...three...” they mouthed at each other and Whitney threw the door open and pushed Ashlyn into the room.

“Hey!” the keeper yelled out, pissed that Whitney had pushed her and terrified of what she would meet in that room.

“Surprise!!!!” the Harris group all yelled together and then laughed hysterically at Ashlyn’s horrified face.

“What the fuck?!” Ashlyn cursed loudly, adrenaline pumping through her body. Her eyes were trying to take in the faces in front of her but there were too many at first. She took a minute and felt Whitney’s hands on her shoulders from behind. Her best friend leaned into Ashlyn’s ear and said “They made me do it bestie.”

The keeper squeezed Whitney’s hand on her shoulder and then finally something came into focus in front of her. There in the corner, standing back a bit to give everyone else a more prominent spot, was Ali. Her face was one big nose-crinkling grin as she smiled back at the keeper. Ashlyn flashed back to her family birthday party at Gram’s house. She was making the rounds, greeting all the party guests, and there in the back of Gram’s living room was Ali. She was shining like the brightest star in the night sky, dwarfing every other star’s best twinkle.

“Ali” she breathed out as her anxiety and confusion started to dissipate.

“Oh sure, I get it. A whole room full of us here making idiots of ourselves for you and all you can see is Ali. Unbelievable sis” Chris teased loudly and made everyone laugh, including Ashlyn.

Ali winked at her keeper and subtly nodded towards Gram. It took a lot of willpower but Ashlyn pulled her eyes away from the brunette and finally saw the other seven guests in the room with them. She moved to the center of the small room and hugged her grandmother and greeted everybody else one at a time as they circled her. Ali walked around the group and gave Whitney a hug and thanked her for all her help pulling the surprise off.

“Oh my God Whit, you have to see the look on her face” the brunette raved as she scrolled back a few pictures in her phone to show the defender.

Gram came over and gave Whitney a big hug and then Ali introduced her mom and Mike to her partner in crime for this surprise.

“I’ve heard a lot of nice things about you Whitney. It’s wonderful to finally meet you” Deb said as she hugged the defender hello.

“With these two in her corner I don’t think there’s anything that can get to our girl” Gram said as she put an arm around both Whitney and Ali’s waists.

“Hey, I want in on this” Ashlyn said as she hugged Gram quickly from behind. She then put her left hand on Whitney’s shoulder, her chin on Gram’s shoulder and her right hand on Ali’s hip. Her face lit up in a dimple-bearing grin as Deb fumbled with her phone, trying to take a picture.

“Wait, wait! I’ve got it, just give me a sec” Deb exclaimed as she tried to make sure everybody was in focus. “Kyle’s been teaching me!” She chuckled and took a couple of pictures of the pose. She also got a couple of pictures where Ali’s face looked very surprised and then one where she was flat out blushing. What Deb couldn’t see in those pictures was Ashlyn’s hand on the brunette’s ass.

“We got you soooo bad” Ali teased her girlfriend as Ashlyn wrapped her in a hug and lifted her off the ground. She gave her a soft but lingering kiss as she put her back down.

“Get a room!” Chris yelled, making everyone laugh again and Ali blush and duck her head into Ashlyn’s chest. 

Ordinarily Ashlyn would have yelled right back at her brother saying something like ‘Oh I’ve got a room and we’ll go use it and not come back if you don’t watch your mouth’. And had their parents not been there she probably would have said exactly that and embarrassed Ali a little bit. But with parents present, especially the Christophers who Ashlyn didn’t even know that well yet, she decided to take the high road and spare Ali the discomfort.

“Good idea dude since it’s a hotel. How long did it take you to think that one up?” she joked instead.

Ali reached up and kissed her on the cheek, whispering in her ear “Thank you.”

//

All of Ali’s worry about the two families getting along seemed to be for naught. It had been a little awkward at times when they were waiting for Ashlyn to come into the room for her surprise. But Chris and his big personality had saved the day. Mike Harris was probably one of the quietest people Ali had ever met. And Mike Christopher was perfectly capable of carrying on a conversation but he wasn’t usually the first one to go and initiate it. Deb was very outgoing but she was trying to make sure things went well because she was worried about Ali being so nervous. Deb had been talking with Beth who was great once you got to know her a little bit, but shy around people she didn’t know well. Gram could talk to anybody, anytime about anything and had been doing a good job trying to get the two Mikes into a conversation. Tammye was quiet. Ali had never seen Tammye anything but quiet, but she hadn’t really seen her very much. Ali had been trying to talk with her but all she could think of to talk about was Grandma Lilian and the two little boys she lost. That was definitely not something to talk about that morning. Just when she thought she was going to say the unthinkable, Chris had come over, cracked a joke and made everything ok again. Tammye and Ali had both looked at him thankfully as he smiled back at them. And then things had been fine. Tammye and Deb talked about Ashlyn’s shoulder surgery, mother to mother. Ali talked to Mike Harris about a surfing video she had watched, she knew the sport was important to Ashlyn and Chris and Mike so she was trying to learn more about it. Chris talked with Mike Christopher about what they both did for a living and Chris’ wedding coming up later that Fall. And Beth and Gram talked about wedding details and Easter preparations at the church. Before long the group had gotten very comfortable with each other and the conversation flowed much more naturally. Deb caught her daughter’s eye and winked at her.

//

Ashlyn and Whitney left the conference room after about a half hour. The keeper went to get her workout in and the defender went to the pool. The visitors had to wait a little bit longer for their early check-in rooms to be available so they just hung out in the conference room and laughed about how surprised Ashlyn had been.

The rest of the day had been pretty great. After her workout and a quick shower Ashlyn joined the group for lunch at the hotel and then they spent the afternoon wandering around the nearby outdoor shopping pavilion. They stopped for ice cream and strolled through an outdoor garden park. The entire time they were together Ali and Ashlyn were arm-in-arm or holding hands. Their families were so happy to see the couple actually being a couple that they all spent a lot of time just watching the pair. At one point Chris walked beside his sister and asked her if they could quit being so cute because they were making him look bad in front of Beth. He was kidding, of course, but he wasn’t wrong.

Ashlyn knew Gram loved seafood so they had dinner down by the ocean and went for a walk on the beach afterwards. Everybody was tired so it wasn’t a long walk or a late night. Back at the hotel Ashlyn went to each room to thank her family for making the trip to surprise her. She made sure Gram had everything she needed for the night and that her dad knew how much she loved him. She checked in with Beth and Chris about brunch the next day and chatted about wedding plans. She went to her mom’s room last and after they talked for a few minutes Ashlyn held out a small gift-wrapped box.

“What’s this?” Tammye asked as she took the gift from her daughter.

“It’s your birthday present. I sent you a card but I didn’t want to mail this. I was going to drive down and see you guys tomorrow and give it to you then. But today has been so perfect I wanted to finish it off right.”

Tammye’s birthday had been Wednesday that week, the day The Breakers flew down to Jacksonville. The older woman carefully unwrapped the box and lifted the lid off of the white cardboard jewelry box.

“It’s the same idea as the necklace Ali had made for my birthday. Yours is a bracelet and the glass is different, but it still came from Grandma’s house.”

“Oh Ashlyn” Tammye sucked in a breath and held it for a minute as she looked at the beautiful bracelet.

“I know it’s not an original idea, but I love my necklace so much and I thought you’d like something like that too. I had it engraved.” 

Tammye found the small silver disk near the clasp of the bracelet and saw that one side of it had the same seashell that her mother’s jewelry box handle had. And on the other side was the letter T.

“I love it sweetheart. I just love it” she said and choked up as tears started to gather in the corner of her eyes.

“I tried to find a clasp that was easy to work. If that one’s not right I’ll keep looking.”

Tammye had arthritis and her fingers and hands were troublesome for her sometimes. It wasn’t too bad yet but she knew it was just going to get worse.

“Thank you so much Ashlyn. It’s just beautiful” she said as she got up and hugged her daughter tightly. “I love you sweetheart.”

The team had the night off which was nice because several players had family visiting. Ashlyn got permission to stay in Ali’s hotel room for the night, and other teammates were allowed similar privileges. The keeper left her mother’s room and went down to the bar where she would meet Ali, Deb and Mike. When she got there she was very happy to see Whitney, Kassey, Kristie and Stephanie huddled around Ali’s high-top table. They were regaling Deb and Mike with a story Ashlyn could only imagine. She was sure it had to be something embarrassing about her. The keeper felt such a rush of joy and happiness that it took her breath away for a minute. She went to the bar and ordered another round of whatever they were all drinking and carried the tray over to the too small table.

There was a pool table and before too long the group ended up over there embroiled in a competitive game with Kassey and Whitney taking on Kristie and Stephanie.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sit one out before Ali” the blonde said as they watched the game. “That’s what caught my eye you know” she said to Deb and Mike with a wink. “The first time she came out with the team after a game I watched her school these two knuckleheads who never even knew what hit them.” They all chuckled and Ali leaned over and kissed the keeper on the cheek.

“It’s good to know all that time she spent in the basement is finally paying off” Deb quipped and laughed out loud. Ashlyn cocked her head to the side with a confused look on her face. “Oh, didn’t she tell you?” Deb continued, “We had a pool table in the basement when they were kids.”

“Ah ha! Now it all makes sense. An unfair advantage. That means you have to forfeit all the times you’ve beaten me baby.” Ashlyn sat back and fixed Ali with a playful glare.

“No way. Not gonna happen” Ali replied shaking her head and wagging her finger at the blonde. “I won those games fair and square. Since when does it matter how long you’ve played something? That’s ridiculous.”

“Now honey, you have to admit having a pool table in your basement when you’re growing up is an extra advantage...” Deb started but Ali cut her off.

“No freaking way. If that’s the case then explain to me why Syd and Kyle are both so bad at it. They played just as much as I did. Some of us are just naturally gifted” Ali finished her argument with a bratty smile and a flick of her hair.

Ashlyn put her arm around Ali’s shoulder and pulled her closer, kissing her temple before saying to Deb, “She’s not wrong.”

“No, no she’s not” Deb agreed and snapped another picture of the adorable couple.

//

When Ashlyn woke the next morning she was momentarily confused. Her eyes told her she was travelling and in a hotel. But all of her other senses told her she was home in Ali’s arms. She sighed happily and looked down at the beautiful brunette sleeping next to her, the little spoon to Ashlyn’s big spoon. She leaned down and kissed the top of Ali’s shoulder that was sticking out above the clean white sheet. Her skin, even the exposed shoulder, was soft and warm. She really was a little furnace. Ashlyn smiled as she remembered the air conditioner at the brunette’s house and how freezing cold her guest room had been last summer. She stifled a small chuckle, not wanting to wake up her sleeping beauty. It had been a long night once they made it up to Ali’s room. The keeper wasn’t sure what had changed, but she was pretty sure it was the candid conversation they shared the night before this trip, five nights ago. They hadn’t seen each other in that time so it might just have been the lack of contact that made the sex so intense but Ashlyn could sense a shift in the brunette when they were together a few short hours ago. Ali had been more confident and more sure of herself in bed. The blonde wasn’t sure if it was a permanent change or not, but she loved it. She would be perfectly happy having sweet boring sex with Ali until the day she died if that’s what Ali wanted. But it seemed like the brunette was discovering a different side of herself and Ashlyn couldn’t help but be excited by it.

Right on cue Ali pulled Ashlyn’s hand, the one that she had been holding with her own across her stomach as they slept, up to her lips and kissed it. She held it against her lips for a minute and then moved it down to her bare breast. Ashlyn involuntarily sucked in a quick breath and closed her eyes as soon as she felt the brunette’s hard nipple under her palm. Ali moved the keeper’s hand over to her other nipple, stiff and ready. Ashlyn let out a quiet moan and brought her lips to Ali’s neck, gently kissing and licking the skin there. Once Ali was sure the blonde would keep her hand where she wanted it, on her nipples, the brunette reached behind her and ran her hand down Ashlyn’s thigh very lightly. She smiled to herself when she felt the goosebumps beneath her fingertips. She backed her ass up into the keeper’s hips and moved her hand to Ashlyn’s ass applying pressure and holding her tight as she started to grind in a slow circle.

“Fuck” Ashlyn exhaled passionately.

//

Brunch was at 10:30 at a restaurant two blocks away from the hotel and Ali and Ashlyn had to race through showers, separately, just to be safe, to make it there on time. When they got to the table they were thrilled with two things. First was that Whitney had decided to join them. And second was that they weren’t the last ones there. Chris and Beth arrived fifteen minutes late, red-faced and apologetic.

It was a huge and delicious buffet and they all stuffed their faces. Both Whitney and Ashlyn agreed to look the other way as they splurged and destroyed their training diet. Deb noticed Tammye’s bracelet and asked her about it. Ali squeezed Ashlyn’s leg under the table as Tammye told the story of her daughter’s gift.

“What a terrific idea” Deb enthused, not realizing it was her daughter who came up with it originally.

“I can’t take any credit for it” Ashlyn began. “Ali’s the one who thought of it. She made me a necklace like it for my birthday.” Ashlyn smiled adoringly at her girlfriend.

“That’s when I realized how special she was” Tammye said and smiled warmly at Ali and then looked at Deb. “The whole room just fell in love with her right then and there. It was really something.”

“Yeah, she killed it. Hit it right out of the park” Chris agreed beaming at the brunette.

“No kidding. And your grandmother’s jewelry box. It was impressive” Whitney added, winking at Ali.

Gram chuckled. “Well, the look on our girl’s face was pretty easy to read too” she said and playfully poked Ashlyn, sitting next to her, in the shoulder.

The keeper blushed and looked down as everybody laughed at the memory.

“Your bracelet is beautiful Tammye” Ali said brightly, hoping to put the spotlight back on her thoughtful keeper where it belonged. Ali knew how much time Ashlyn had spent on that bracelet, picking out the pieces of glass she wanted to use and putting them all in a certain order. Ali had just brought the jewelry designer a box with some glass and let her have at it. But not Ashlyn. She meticulously orchestrated every single thing.

Towards the end of the meal they ate less and talked more. Beth wanted to know what everybody’s favorite holiday was so they went around the table. There were a couple of Christmases, Chris and Mike Christopher. Several Thanksgivings, Beth, Tammye, Whitney and Gram. Two Fourth of Julys, Mike Harris and Ali. And a pair of New Year’s Eves, Deb and Ashlyn. They all talked for a few minutes about the holidays and then the mood turned reflective.

“It’s interesting” Beth started, “Nobody said Easter.”

The Harrises all looked at each other with different versions of nostalgic and sad faces. Beth realized she must have hit a nerve and looked quickly to Ali who just shrugged her shoulders. She looked to Whitney next but the defender just shook her head, not understanding the reaction either. Ali squeezed Ashlyn’s thigh, reflexively trying to soothe her.

“You know who loved Easter more than any other holiday?” Ashlyn began but Tammye finished the thought...

“Grandma Lilian.”

All the Harrises nodded their heads solemnly but then the mood lifted as they started telling stories about Grandma Lilian sending them Easter Lilies every year and how they tried so hard to keep them alive but they never could do it. Tammye talked about how she used to have to get up and get ready in the dark so they could get to church for the sunrise service when she was younger.

“At the end of March or early April the sun rose at 6:30am and it was cold up there in Gloucester. And unless the weather was really bad, they held that service outdoors.” Tammye shivered at the memory but smiled.

“She taught you her special recipe for the glaze” Mike Harris said across the table to Tammye, “for the Easter ham. Do you remember?” he chuckled and then continued. “The worst burn I ever got in my whole life was from that damned glaze” he chuckled again, louder.

“Well, I told you to back up” Tammye laughed as she added to the story. “You just couldn’t wait for a piece of that ham. Serves you right.” 

“I went in to the kitchen to see what all the commotion was about and here I find this one” Gram pointed her thumb at her son, “running back and forth, holding onto his arm like it was on fire” she laughed and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye at the same time.

“Well it felt like it was!” Mike replied. He realized nobody else knew what had happened. “Tam was putting the glaze on the ham and the directions said something about spinning the brush or something so you don’t drip the glaze everywhere and make a mess.” Tammye and Gram were both crying they were laughing so hard at this point as Mike finished the story. “This glaze was boiling hot, it had just come off the stove, and she spun it and...”

“And you were standing too close Mikey” Gram interjected. “Can’t blame Tammye for this one.”

“Well how the hell was I supposed to know red hot glaze was going to come flying at me?” Mike asked, laughing hard too. “I still have the scar!” he laughed loudly, stuck his arm out and pointed at a spot nobody could see on the side of his forearm. 

The whole table was laughing and crying as they recounted one of the few happy Harris memories from when Chris and Ashlyn were young. Ashlyn held Ali’s hand on top of her own thigh and laughed along with the rest of the group. That moment. That moment right there is what her family had worked so hard for all those years. Chris had to get clean. Mike had to get clean. Tammye had to get clean. And then they all had to forgive each other and find a way to move forward and try to be a family again. Sometimes, when it was hard and difficult or when somebody slipped or messed up, Ashlyn would wonder why they bothered. And that moment there, surrounded by the most important people in her whole life laughing together, was why they bothered. The keeper got choked up as she thought about it. Ali watched her carefully out of the corner of her eye and squeezed her hand again. Ashlyn looked at her and grinned. It wasn’t her usual big grin and her dimple was definitely not showing. It was half sad because she missed Grandma Lilian and half happy that they were laughing about her now infamous ham glaze recipe. Ali grinned back, happy to be a part of this new memory they were all making.

“Here’s to Grandma Lilian,” Chris lifted his glass and toasted after they had all composed themselves again. “We miss you.”


	7. Lilian's Boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very minor smut warning

It had been incredibly difficult to leave Ashlyn Sunday afternoon. After brunch they had all gone to play miniature golf at a course they had discovered the day before. They drew names randomly out of Chris’ hat to see what the groups would be. There were ten of them so there would be two groups of three and one group of four. Tammye, Ali and Deb were one group. Mike Harris, Whitney and Chris were another group. And Ashlyn, Beth, Mike Christopher and Gram were the foursome. They would keep individual scores but the main goal was to have the team with the lowest overall score. It was a really nice course for mini-golf. The greens around the holes were really grass greens and were nicer than some actual golf courses.

Everybody was just having fun, except, of course, for the three women who were insanely competitive. They didn’t let on or ruin anybody else’s good time, but Whitney, Ali and Ashlyn were trying desperately for their team to win. Tammye and Deb noticed right away but didn’t begin talking about it until about the 10th hole when Ashlyn cursed so loudly after missing her putt that the young family behind them gasped out loud. Gram smacked her on the butt and they all faintly heard the keeper apologize to those around her.

“And there she is...” Tammye chuckled. “Mommy’s good little sport.”

“We’re just lucky this one hasn’t done the same thing yet” Deb said motioning towards Ali who was lining up her next putt. “I thought she was going to throw her putter back on the 8th when her ball hit the windmill.”

“You’re kidding!” Tammye said, surprised. “Damn she hides it well. I had no idea.”

“You should have seen them at the New Year’s Eve games.” Deb rolled her eyes and laughed louder than she should have when such competitive putting was happening.

“I’m right here you know and I’m not deaf” Ali sassed and quirked an eyebrow at her mother.

Whitney’s team won with the lowest score and Ali’s team came in a close second. Ashlyn playfully complained that Gram had thrown their game just to make sure they lost to prove a point. Mike Christopher had the lowest individual score, followed by Ali and then Chris. The winning team had to buy the losers ice cream on the way back to the hotel. 

Before they knew it the afternoon was gone and it was time for everyone to leave. The Harrises drove away first, hugging and kissing their girl goodbye and talking about their next meeting. The Christophers left next, taking their own cab to the airport because Ali’s flight left two hours later than theirs.

“Thank you so much for arranging all of this baby” Ashlyn whispered into Ali’s ear as they snuggled on the keeper’s hotel bed. 

Team dinner was at 6pm and they were trying to get as much time together as possible before then. Ali would leave for the airport then too. They were watching a soccer game on the tv and holding each other close, breathing each other in. 

“I’m glad everybody got along. You think they all got along, right?” Ali asked as she snuggled into the blonde’s side. She placed her hand under the hem of Ashlyn’s shirt so she could feel the bare skin of her stomach. She just wanted to feel her warmth and be close.

“I do.” Ashlyn patted her leg and idly rubbed her thumb along the brunette’s thigh. “I think Mike and my dad could have a pretty stiff competition for who is the quietest. We’ll have to try and set that up for next time” she chuckled.

“Next time...I like the sound of that” Ali said softly and kissed the blonde’s jaw.

//

Three days later Ali and Sydney sat together at Ali’s dining room table putting mailing labels on the ‘Save the Date’ cards for the wedding. They talked about wedding dates and details, the latest guest list additions and deletions and ended up finishing the bottle of wine before breaking down the drama with Dom’s family. 

“Well you know we’ve got your back. Kyle will still be our bodyguard if I can’t handle whatever comes up. Try not to worry about it ok?” Ali tried to calm Sydney’s nerves. “Whatever you need us to do, it’s done. Promise.”

“Thanks. I know. And I appreciate it. There are so many fucking feelings all over this wedding and I just can’t stand the drama sometimes.” Sydney rested her head on her forearms on the table. “And it’s constant. I’m so tired of thinking and worrying about this wedding right now” she said, head still on her arms.

Ali reached over and rubbed her back soothingly. “Jesus you’re tight Syd. You’re engaged to the guy who’s teaching me how to give professional muscle therapy back rubs and you’re this tight? What the hell?”

Ali stood, pulled her best friend up into a sitting position and started to massage her shoulders, back, neck and arms.

“Oh my God Alibaba, that feels so good.” Sydney closed her eyes and tried to relax. “How many lessons have you had?”

Ali giggled. “Just a couple. Who knew there was a right and a wrong way to give a backrub?”

“Well I’ll talk to your teacher for you. You deserve an A+ girl. Damn that feels good. I had no idea I was such a mess. Fucking wedding” Sydney complained and then giggled.

“But you wouldn’t have it any other way, right?”

“You know it. No more wedding talk now” Sydney instructed. “Change the subject. Tell me more about your girl. The Easter surprise was a big success. Your families got along pretty well. What else?”

“Ummm let’s see” Ali thought as she massaged. “Well I really want to learn more about her Grandma Lilian, the one who lived up here.”

“Ok, why?”

“Well I found her bible and she had written the family history in it, you know, of births and marriages and deaths. Ashlyn’s mom had two older brothers who both died when they were babies.”

“Oh God that’s horrible.”

“And at brunch Grandma Lilian came up because Easter used to be her favorite...that makes more sense now, Jesus rising from the dead. That’s so sad.” Ali was quiet for a minute, thinking. “I don’t know, nobody ever talks about her life and I just feel like I wanna know all about it because I’m living in her house...”

Sydney turned her head to the side and raised her eyebrow. “Oh, have we officially started cohabitating already?” 

“No” Ali swatted her arm. “Jerk. But I’m in her house a lot, ok? And I feel like I live there.”

“Mmmhmm. I see” Sydney tried to keep the giggle out of her voice. “So what’s the date you set for when you’ll let yourself move in?”

“What?” Ali stopped her hands and opened her mouth to protest.

“Oh save your breath” the coach giggled. “I know you boo. You’ve got a date in your mind when you think it won’t be ‘too soon’ to move in. So spill. When is it?” Sydney tapped her shoulder, “and get back to work while you’re at it.”

The brunette started rubbing her back again as she tried to decide what to say. As usual, she couldn’t hide anything from her best friend.

“Six months. No sooner than six months. Longer if I can hold out” Ali answered quietly. “You suck, you know that?”

“I do” Sydney chuckled. “Why are you waiting? Do you know? Or are you just doing it because you think you should?”

Ali chewed on her lip for a few minutes and then let out a sigh.

“I feel like I should. And also I’m afraid of screwing it up. I don’t want to go too fast and crash and burn, you know?” The brunette sighed again. “And she hasn’t asked me yet either.”

“Oh please tell me you’re not waiting for her to do all the asking.” Sydney rolled her eyes and shook her head as she chuckled. “Isn’t that part of what’s so cool about being lesbians? There’s no man to get his masculinity all butt hurt all the time?”

“No, it’s not that,” she started and then laughed at Sydney’s words. “I mean, yes, you’re right. It’s nice to feel like I don’t have to tiptoe around hurting the guy’s feelings if I do the asking or whatever. But it’s her house. She has to ask me.”

“Why don’t you ask her to move in here with you?”

Ali laughed out loud, her short, shout of a laugh. “Umm no. That’s our house. We’re going to live there forever and raise our kids there and grow old there...”

Sydney turned around in her chair to face her best friend. Ali seemed surprised, still wrapped up in her fantasy future.

“So tell me dreamboat,” the coach said as Ali’s eyes finally met hers, “why are you waiting again?”

//

It was very late Friday night, technically early Saturday morning, and Ali spooned her keeper from behind, watching the side of her face and admiring her gorgeous cheekbone in the dark. The team had returned to Boston that night but their flight had been delayed several times because of mechanical trouble. They finally landed just before midnight. To make matters worse, Ashlyn had pushed herself extremely hard in her workout that morning before the team left for the airport and every muscle in her body was killing her. Couple that with sitting in a cramped airplane seat on the tarmac for almost four hours and you got complete physical misery. The blonde was exhausted and in pain and had insisted on just crawling right into bed as soon as they got home. Whitney had carried her bags into the house for her as Ali helped the keeper up the stairs.

An hour later, as they lay curled up in bed, Ali still couldn’t get to sleep. She was so excited to have Ashlyn home but also worried about her at the same time. All that anxious energy just pinged around inside her, making it impossible to shut her mind off. She tried to get out of bed and go downstairs and make some tea but the blonde had whimpered and pulled the brunette’s arm closer to her chest in her sleep. So Ali stayed there, wrapped around her girlfriend, waiting for sleep to come. 

The team cancelled training on Saturday to let the players rest and recover from their awful day of travel. They had a preseason game on Sunday to prepare for but they would just have an extra meeting before the game. 

Ali got up and made a big breakfast for Whitney and Ashlyn. She opted for pancakes so she could keep them warm in the oven because she wasn’t sure when either of them would wake up. She made bacon and fried herself a couple of eggs while she was at it. The brunette sat at the kitchen table, drank her coffee and ate her breakfast. Fifteen minutes later, like two zombies, Whitney and Ashlyn both came downstairs at the same time. The defender shuffled in through the mudroom from the front stairs and the keeper slowly made her way down the back stairs. Ali laughed when she saw them and got up to fix them each a plate. Whitney made them each a cup of coffee and Ashlyn crumpled down into one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

“I’m finished Whit, take my seat” Ali said as she brought their plates over and put them down. She leaned in for a kiss from the keeper and hummed into it. “Mmmmm. Morning babe.”

“I love you so much Al. Thanks for this” Ashlyn mumbled gratefully after the kiss and carefully drank some coffee.

“Don’t tell Ryan,” Whitney began as she sat down at the table and picked up a piece of bacon, “but I love you too Ali.”

Later that afternoon the three women lounged in the front living room watching soccer on the big tv and playing on their phones. Whitney and Ashlyn had each taken long hot baths and soaked their weary muscles. Ali had almost lost control when the keeper came out of the bathroom with just a towel around her waist, looking for clothes. The brunette had just changed the bed and Ashlyn hadn’t expected to see her there. 

“Goddamn you’re beautiful” Ali said, trying to hide her lust for the time being. Later, when the blonde wasn’t so stiff and sore, she would let her desire take over.

“I was just thinking the same thing about you baby.” Ashlyn’s face was a mixture of arousal and pain. “And as soon as my body stops screaming at me I’m gonna show you just how much I’ve been missing you.”

Ali fought her impulse to go to Ashlyn, even just for a kiss, because she knew she would have no self-control once she got near her. The keeper seemed to be having the same struggle and they moved around the perimeter of the room like boxers in the ring.

“Meet you downstairs” Ali finally said as she carried the dirty sheets down the back stairs.

As they watched the soccer match they snuggled together on the couch, but not too close. Whitney was on the other end of L-shaped sectional watching the match and texting with Ryan. It was so comfortable in the room. The early afternoon sun was coming in through the windows and there was a nice, lazy feel to it. All three women talked and teased and joked with each other as they commented on the game they watched as well as the end of training camp.

Ashlyn had moved around several times, getting comfortable as her body started to feel a little bit better. The hot bath had helped as well as the advil. The blonde sat at the end of the couch with her legs stretched out on the coffee table. Ali, who didn’t get very much sleep, lay on her side with her head in Ashlyn’s lap.

“Can I ask you something Ash? About your Grandmother?”

“Sure.” Ashlyn squeezed Ali’s side and then rested her hand back on her hip where it had been.

“First of all, I don’t mean to pry or anything, but I have this really strong urge to know your Grandma Lilian. I think it’s because of the house or something. I just, I know it’s weird, but I feel like she was a great lady and I want to know more about her.”

“Al, you’re not prying. I’ll tell you anything you want to know. But I don’t know too much.”

“Ba dum bum, psshh” Whitney joked, making the sound of drums, a rim shot and a cymbal. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

“Ha ha, very funny” Ashlyn made a face at the defender.

Ali giggled and continued. “Well I found her bible upstairs when I was making sure the painters put everything back right. I looked at it, you know I have a thing for old books,” she looked up at the keeper who just nodded back down at her with a smile, “and there was a list of the two families with all their births and marriages and deaths.” She paused, suddenly feeling like she was out of bounds and nosy.

“Ok, yeah, I think I remember seeing that before.”

“Did you ever notice the two babies Lilian had before she had your mom?” Ali asked tentatively.

Ashlyn pursed her lips and thought for a minute before answering. “I knew she lost two babies. I saw their headstones when we visited Grandpa’s grave the summer he died. But that was the first time I ever heard about it. She never said a word before that.”

“So she talked about them with you? What did she say? I’m sorry, I just can’t imagine how hard that must have been for her to lose them like that.”

“No, she really didn’t talk about them.” Ashlyn was trying to remember that day at the cemetery with her Grandmother. “I’m trying to remember, it was a long time ago, back in...2001” she did the quick math in her head figuring the date from how old she had been at the time, almost sixteen. “I couldn’t come up for the funeral because I was at a soccer tournament. I was still trying to secure my scholarship so it was a big deal and I couldn’t miss it. None of us went to that funeral and I still feel terrible about it. That was right when Chris started to go bad. I really think Grandpa dying was what pushed him over the edge. They were close. And my mom and Grandma Lilian weren’t even speaking at that time. They hadn’t in years. God what a mess that time was. When I visited her later that summer we went to the cemetery together so I could see him, his grave, you know.”

“How old were they when they died?” Whitney asked softly.

“They were just babies. I think they were stillborn maybe” Ashlyn offered up what she had come to believe based on a lifetime of her family not talking about it.

“No, they weren’t stillborn Ash.” Ali suddenly worried about how her sensitive girlfriend would take the sad news. She paused for a minute as Ashlyn looked at her expectantly. “The oldest was three when he died.”

“Meg’s four right now” Ashlyn whispered.

“And the younger boy was only about a month old I think.”

“Oh that’s awful” Whitney said sympathetically.

Ashlyn didn’t say anything. She was looking out the bay window into the afternoon sunlight, thinking.

“The worst part, or the part that just seems so extra cruel to me, is that she lost them both within six months of each other” Ali said quietly, her voice full of emotion.

Whitney gasped, “Oh my God.”

Ashlyn closed her eyes as tears started to fall down her cheeks. She didn’t burst into tears or start shaking or sobbing. She sat there, perfectly still and let the tears fall.

“I’m so sorry honey, I thought you knew.” Ali sat up and gave a concerned look to Whitney.

“Can I see it?” Ashlyn asked in whisper.

The brunette went up to the third floor and retrieved the bible. She came back into the front living room to see that Whitney had gotten up and brought a box of tissues in for the keeper and was sitting next to her on the couch rubbing her back. Ashlyn had sat up with her feet on the floor and was wiping her tears away. Ali sat on the coffee table in front of her girlfriend with the bible on her lap. Whitney looked at her with hesitation and Ali nodded at her.

“Ash I hope you’re not beating yourself up for not knowing this about your grandma” Whitney started softly. She knew her best friend was devastated by the tragic timing and circumstances of the deaths, but she also knew the keeper was angry at herself for not knowing about it sooner. “If she didn’t want to talk about it she wasn’t going to talk about it. And, from everything I’ve ever heard you tell me about her, she wouldn’t have wanted you to make a fuss about it.”

The keeper took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She patted Whitney’s thigh and left her hand there for a minute more. 

“She would have hated that. You’re right” Ashlyn agreed. "We went to the cemetery a bunch of times when I was here that summer. I was only here for about a month but we must have visited his grave four or five times. I can’t believe I never looked at the dates on their headstones.” She shook her head again. “I don’t even remember their names. All I remember is that I asked her who they were.” The keeper fought back another wave of emotion at the memory. “She just said they were her babies. Her little babies. That’s what she said.”

Ali opened the bible and flipped to the first page so the blonde could look. Ashlyn took the bible and put it on her own knees and tried to focus her eyes. Whitney leaned forward to look too, having never seen it before.

“Edward Dodge Burnham. He was almost 3-1/2 years old.” Ashlyn read more dates and worked more math in her head. “God, she was pregnant when he died. Jesus Christ. Four months pregnant maybe. Can you imagine?” She looked up at the two sad faces with her and shook her head again. “John Thomas Burnham wasn’t even a month old, he lived just three weeks. And she buried him five months after losing Edward.”

The three women sat there, huddled over the pages with the neatly written names and dates for another half hour or so. Ashlyn turned to some pages near the back and pulled out the handful of funeral service programs there. None of them were for the boys, but she saw other family members from the list at the front of the bible. She leafed through more pages and found a program by itself. There was another program a few pages behind it, also by itself. They didn’t say much. Just the names and birth and death dates below a cross with flowers and angels around it. What else was there to say? Neither child had lived long enough to have anything to summarize or celebrate there. Ashlyn put the programs back where they had been and closed the book.

“My poor grandma. I’ve never heard of anything so fucking sad in my whole life.”

//

Ashlyn spent that afternoon on the phone with her brother and her Gram and both parents trying to find out what more they could add to the sad story. Her dad knew what Ashlyn knew. That there had been two babies that had died. Gram knew nothing about it either. She said that all the times she and Lilian had spoken over the years had been about Ashlyn and Chris and very little else. Gram said that she knew right away that Lilian was a strong woman. It was her favorite thing about her as they started to get to know each other better, during their visits to Florida at Christmastime each year. Gram said that it was that strength in Lilian that she relied on when she decided to confide in her about all the troubles that Tammye and Mike had been having as young parents. Gram said that she realized she couldn’t do it alone and she knew that she could trust and rely on Lilian to help. And that’s how it had started – their annual summers in Gloucester. But Lilian never mentioned having or losing sons to Gram. Gram knew that she had suffered and lost people important in her life but they never shared any details. The only loss they ever talked about was Tammye. After many years Lilian had told Gram how devastating it had been to lose her beloved daughter, first to rebellion, then to Florida, then to drugs and alcohol. 

The only information Ashlyn was able to get from Chris was a vague memory of Grandpa once telling him that he wished his son had grown up to be like Chris. They had been down at the docks together early one morning when Chris was about 14. Chris couldn’t remember the specifics but as they walked home that comment from his Grandpa had somehow been a part of the conversation. Chris didn’t know any more than his sister did about the baby boys though.

Tammye had more information but even hers was incomplete. She knew that her oldest brother had died from polio and that her other brother had died from complications during childbirth. Nobody had expected him to live very long. Tammye explained that her mother never talked about them with her either. She had learned the little information she knew from childhood friends who had heard gossip from their mothers.

The last phone call she made was to Meg. It was close to dinner time so she was hopeful she and Hannah would be home and able to take the call. Ashlyn ended up Facetiming the little girl while her mom made dinner. The call certainly lifted the keeper’s spirits.

The information about Grandma Lilian was helpful but certainly not enough to satisfy Ashlyn’s curiosity. She filled in Ali and Whitney that evening as they ate dinner in the nook in the family room.

“That’s so sweet that your Grandpa said that to Chris” Ali said cheerfully, happy to find a bright spot in all the sadness.

“Polio. Man it seems like such an ancient disease but it really wasn’t all that long ago. 1948 was only 70 years ago” Whitney marveled. “Makes me want to smack all the idiots out there who decide not to vaccinate their kids these days. Can you imagine how happy your grandma would have been to be able to vaccinate her boy? Fucking morons.”

They ate in silence for several minutes, all three women thinking about baby boys and cemeteries and family tragedies that go unspoken for decades.

“I’ve got to find out more. I just have to” Ashlyn finally said, firmly.

“What are you thinking babe?” Ali asked.

“I’m not sure. I just...have to know. My mom has fought depression all her life and I have my struggles too. I wonder if Grandma Lilian was the same? If she was, how incredible was it that she came out of that terrible loss and still managed to have a life? And another baby?” Ashlyn had a determined look on her face.

“It doesn’t sound like she shared a lot with too many people though. What are you hoping to find, like a diary or something?” Ali asked.

“Hey why don’t you ask Mrs. Riley?” Whitney suggested. “Didn’t she say her mom was friends with your grandma?”

All three women looked at each other and smiled.

“You’re a fucking genius Whit!” Ashlyn stood up, leaned across the table and kissed the defender on the forehead as Ali laughed. “A fucking genius” she repeated as she took her seat again to finish her dinner. She looked happy for the first time since early that afternoon.

//

“God that feels good Al.”

“Good, that’s the point” Ali chuckled and moved her hands down the keeper’s back, flexing her strong fingers and applying pressure as she went.

Ashlyn was stretched out along the foot of her bed, face down on top of a beach towel, with her head hanging off the edge. She wore her boxer briefs and nothing else. Ali moved along the foot of the bed massaging the sore muscles in the keeper’s aching body. She wore short athletic shorts and a tank top with her hair up in a messy bun. The massage oil that Dom gave her was strong and he said it was tough to get out of clothes. The powerful smell of lemongrass, eucalyptus and wintergreen permeated the dimly lit room.

“Dom taught you how to do this?” the blonde asked between groans, some painful and some pleasurable.

“Yep. I was going to take a class and asked him to recommend one and he just told me to come see him instead. I love that guy.”

“This is so much better than what Dani does” Ashlyn enthused, not meaning to malign the Breakers trainer.

Ali giggled, “You’re in your own bed, in your own house, half-naked with your girlfriend instead of on the trainer’s table in a corner of the busy smelly loud locker room. I would hope so.” 

The brunette kissed the back of her head and laughed as Ashlyn reached around her legs to try and get to her ass.

“Hey, now you behave” the brunette warned. “I’ve been waiting all day to do this for you. It broke my heart to see you so sore and stiff last night and this morning.”

“I’m feeling much better now. Really, after the sleep and the food and the bath and the advil and the couch...”

“Shhhhh, just be still babe, try and relax.”

Ashlyn was asleep fifteen minutes later. The brunette covered her with another beach towel, careful not to wake her. She put the sports massage oil away and took a shower before getting ready for bed. She would let the blonde sleep for another half hour before making her take a hot shower. As much as Ali ached for the keeper’s touch she knew they were both exhausted and would be smart to just go to sleep. And that’s exactly what they did. 

It wasn’t until 4am that they finally satisfied their carnal cravings. Ali slept heavily after not getting much sleep the night before. But Ashlyn woke up on her back with the beautiful brunette wrapped around her side and her libido through the roof. She could hear the brunette’s soft breathing and feel every place on her body where they touched. She kissed her sleeping girlfriend on her forehead and rubbed her arm, the one draped across the keeper’s stomach, beneath the covers. She moved her hips from side to side, very slowly, and felt the warm resistance of Ali’s body as she pressed against it. She moved her hand farther up the brunette’s arm and rested it on her ribcage and lower shoulder blade, thrilling at the feel of bare skin where she had thought her t-shirt should be. She definitely had a shirt on but Ashlyn couldn’t think of which one exposed so much skin there. She couldn’t stay still anymore. She carefully shifted away from her girlfriend and pulled her arm out from underneath her chocolate locks and neck. Ali’s head was on the pillow now and she lay on her side. Ashlyn leaned on her elbow watching the beautiful woman move her mouth and twitch her nose as she settled back into the pillow. Her shoulder was exposed, sticking a few inches above the covers. Ashlyn leaned over and pressed her lips to it softly. She held them there for a minute enjoying how soft and warm Ali’s skin was. She moved her lips down an inch and kissed her shoulder again, this time moving her hand down her side towards her hip at the same time. The brunette stirred, flexing the leg that she still had across Ashlyn’s thighs. The keeper moved her hand from Ali’s hip down her thigh and squeezed it. She moved her hand farther down her thigh until it stopped behind her bent knee. Ashlyn could feel the bottom of her pajama pant leg bunched up there and she pulled on them to straighten them out, squeezing the brunette’s calf at the same time. She moved her lips back to Ali’s bare shoulder and placed another warm open-mouthed kiss there. The brunette stirred again, moving her arm up towards her chin. Ashlyn bit down gently on the spot she had just kissed and moved her hand back up Ali’s thigh to her hip and then around to her ass. The keeper’s pulse quickened as she softly squeezed the most gorgeous ass she had ever seen. Before she could stop herself she moaned out loud. 

Ali stirred again, this time reaching her arm out toward the blonde’s pillow. She moved her hand around for a few seconds, searching for her keeper, and then rolled her shoulders and head back onto her own pillow. She bent her elbow and rested her hand next to her face as she stretched and rolled all the way over onto her back.

The covers moved when Ali stretched and Ashlyn could see that she was wearing one of the sleep tank tops from Florida that the blonde loved so much. That explained the extra skin she had felt. Ashlyn leaned over and kissed the brunette’s forehead again, then her cheek, then her other cheek, then her chin. Each kiss lasted a few seconds longer than the last one had. 

Ali swallowed and scrunched her face up, flattening her lips together for a second. She felt something warm and soft on her lips and then it was gone. She wanted to feel that again. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking away the sleep that still clung to her. As her eyes focused she felt the nice warm soft feeling again on her lips and then her jaw and then her neck. When she was finally able, she saw nothing but blonde hair for a few minutes and then her favorite face came into view.

“Hey babe” she croaked out, voice struggling against sleep.

“Hi beautiful” Ashlyn said softly as she rolled half on top of her girlfriend, putting her leg between Ali’s and running her hand up her thigh and hip.

“Did I wake you?” Ashlyn asked and kissed her lips again, slowly. “I really want to keep kissing you.” 

She moved her lips to Ali’s jaw on the other side of her face and then her neck. She applied a little bit of pressure to the brunette’s center with her thigh and brought her hand up to cup her breast with just a light touch. She felt her girlfriend’s breath catch.

“I can stop and let you go back to sleep though, if you want” the blonde whispered and kissed her lips again, this time licking Ali’s bottom lip just before the kiss. She prayed that the brunette wouldn’t call her bluff. It would kill her to stop now. She was so turned on it took all of her self-control to keep her touches soft and gentle.

Ali moaned and moved one of her hands to Ashlyn’s back, rubbing it weakly, still not fully awake.

“Kiss me more” she mumbled and tried to kiss the blonde back.

Ashlyn smiled against her lips and caressed her breast as she kissed her again. She felt Ali’s nipples start to harden and a jolt shot through her body and went right to her core. 

“Mmmmm” Ali moaned into the blonde’s mouth, her eyes still half-closed.

“I love you Ali” Ashlyn breathed out as she broke the kiss.

“I love you too” Ali replied, starting to wake up. They looked lovingly into each other’s eyes for a minute while Ashlyn’s hand kept gently squeezing the brunette’s breast. “Kiss me more” Ali said again with a sleepy smirk.


	8. Nurse Ash

The Breakers final preseason game was against the Boston College women’s team on Friday April 8th at 4pm. It was Ashlyn’s first action since the end of last season and she had been nervous and excited to get back between the posts. April weather in Boston was dicey. Sometimes it was 80 degrees and sometimes there was a blizzard. That late afternoon it was cold and raw and rainy. Ali sat on the aluminum bleachers shivering and worrying about Ashlyn. She worried about her shoulder. She worried about her conditioning. She worried about her reflexes. She worried about her confidence. She worried about her getting pneumonia in the stupid freezing cold rain that wouldn’t stop falling all game long. The good news was that The Breakers won 8-0. The bad news was that Ashlyn hadn’t held anything back during the game. Ali knew she wouldn’t and loved that she wouldn’t but also secretly wished that she would have, just that once. Ashlyn played the full 90 minutes and threw herself all over the turf blocking shots. There had been some communication problems with the backline but that was to be expected in her first game back. They had to get used to each other again.

Ali’s dad had gone to the game with her and they went out to dinner afterwards. His own scouting and coaching schedule could be tough to work around but every once in a while things worked out perfectly. And Ali loved watching soccer with him. She always had and she was pretty sure she always would. They talked about Ashlyn’s performance and fitness while they ate. They talked more about the Easter trip and made plans for she and Ashlyn to come to his house for dinner soon. He asked Ali about Sydney and how her team was looking. She asked him about Vicki and the boys and, of course, Apollo. The brunette had about four cups of tea during dinner, trying to get warm. Before they knew it the waitress brought them the check and they drove back up to the North Shore together. Ken had picked Ali up at her house and they had driven in together. When they got back to her house he asked if she needed him to look at or fix anything while he was there. She really did have the best dad. All Ali wanted, honestly, was to get warm and go to sleep.

“You’d better get under your covers and get warmed up Princess. I don’t want you getting a cold” Ken hugged and kissed his daughter goodbye. He watched her unlock her front door and disappear inside before driving away with a wave.

But Ali had gotten sick. She didn’t realize how sick at first. Her dad had dropped her off at 9:30 and she was in her bed and fast asleep by 10pm. She had texted Ashlyn telling her she was going to bed early so the blonde wouldn’t worry about her if she didn’t text back that night. 

Whitney and Ashlyn went out with the team after the game for a little while and then drove back to the big old house. Ashlyn was exhausted and sore, but exhilarated after the clean sheet, even though it was a college team. She would never not appreciate a clean sheet. It would always be a thing of beauty in her eyes. She took another hot shower and crawled into bed, sending Ali another few texts just in case she was still awake. But she wasn’t. Ashlyn checked her social media one last time for the night, wrote in her journal for about thirty minutes and went to sleep.

The keeper hated waking up without Ali. She wished she had just had Whitney drop her off at the brunette’s house last night on their way home. Or, better yet, she wished they had stopped and picked Ali up last night. She saw that Ali hadn’t replied to any of her texts from last night and sent her a few more good morning texts, smiling like a goof as she did. It wasn’t like Ali to sleep in later than the blonde. 

Ashlyn and Whitney had breakfast together and then went down to the gym to do some recovery work, yoga and stretching. When the keeper came down the back steps just before noon, after showering and getting dressed, she frowned at her phone as she set it on the counter next to the refrigerator. Whitney was working at the stove, making something for lunch, and noticed her friend’s frustration.

“What’s up?” she asked as she stirred a pot of soup.

Ashlyn got a recovery drink out of the refrigerator and leaned against the counter. “I still haven’t heard from Ali. It’s just weird. She always texts me good morning or something by now.”

“Have you tried calling her?”

“Yeah, went to voicemail.”

“Right to voicemail or it rang a bunch and then went to voicemail?”

“Whitney, it rang a bunch first. She didn’t just send me to voicemail” the keeper answered irritably. 

“When was the last time she texted you?” Whitney could see her friend was really getting worried.

“Last night, just before 10pm.”

“Are you sure she didn’t have plans today? Maybe she’s someplace with no cell coverage.” Whitney poured her soup into a bowl and brought the empty pot to the sink.

“No, that’s what I thought too, maybe I messed up dates or plans. But she was going to come here this morning and we were going up to Rockport for lunch and some strolling around. It’s noon now and I still haven’t heard anything.”

“Have you tried Syd?”

“God I love you bestie! No but that’s a great idea” the keeper said as she texted Sydney.

An hour later Ashlyn stood at Ali’s front door, ringing the doorbell. Sydney & Dom were at a cake tasting appointment in Boston and hadn’t heard from Ali. Kyle was working at the salon and he hadn’t heard from her either. Ashlyn asked both Sydney and Kyle to try calling and texting her to see if they got a reply. When neither of them got any answer she had jumped into her jeep and hit the road. It was the longest forty minutes of her life. The five minutes she had stood on Ali’s doorstep was excruciating too. She gave up and jogged around the house to the back patio. Ali had told her she kept a spare key in the screen porch someplace. The blonde wracked her brain trying to remember where it was. She started randomly looking under and in things as she tried to think through the panic rising in her chest. She attempted to peek in the windows but the blinds were still drawn. Could she still be asleep? Finally she found the key under one of the citronella bucket candles on the big table.

She unlocked the back door and ran through the first floor, thankful for such a small house, calling Ali’s name. She took the stairs two at a time and stopped short when she got to the top of them. Her heart pounded as she saw Ali lying on her side on the bathroom floor.

“Ali!” she cried out in a mangled, terrified voice.

Ashlyn bent down and felt the brunette’s neck for a pulse. Thank God. She looked at her quickly for signs of injury and didn’t see anything. No gash on her head or blood anyplace.

“Ali” she said again as she shook her girlfriend. It wasn’t a hard shake but it wasn’t a gentle one either. The brunette was hot and sweaty, even though she was lying on the cold tile floor. She wore a t-shirt and pajama pants and they were both soaked through. Ashlyn put her wrist to Ali’s forehead to get a quick idea of her temperature. Her skin was on fire. The blonde didn’t know what to do. She forced herself to calm down and think. She kept one hand protectively on Ali’s thigh as she reached for her phone.

Fifteen minutes later, after a phone call to Gram, Ashlyn turned the water on in the bathtub. She filled it half way with lukewarm water and put a washcloth under the water while she waited for the tub to fill. She wrung the extra water out and gently placed it on the back of Ali’s neck. The brunette groaned a little bit. Ashlyn did the same thing with another washcloth and put it on Ali’s forehead.

“You’ll be ok baby. I’ve got you. You’ve got a little fever and we’re going to bring that down and you’ll start to feel better. Ok?” she explained softly as she pulled off her girlfriend’s pajama pants and t-shirt.

She tried to get Ali to wake up but it was taking too long so the keeper got on her knees and picked the limp brunette up in her arms. The adrenaline rushing through her body drowned out the cries from her sore muscles. Ashlyn carefully lifted her over the side of the tub and lowered her into the water. She got the washcloths wet again and put them back on her neck and forehead. She got two more ready and put them under Ali’s armpits that were above the water.

The keeper turned the water off and fought back tears as she knelt there trying to keep her girl cool and upright and as comfortable as possible. She wanted to get her some water to drink or some ice cubes to suck on but she was afraid to leave her alone in the tub like that. 

“Oh shit baby. I’ve gotta let Syd and Kyle know you’re ok. We were all pretty worried about you.” Ashlyn called Sydney just because her number was at the top of her recent calls list. She kept one hand on Ali as she filled the coach in and asked her to let Kyle know his sister was ok.

“Ashlyn?” Ali mumbled, barely above a whisper, eyes still closed.

“I’m here baby. I’m right here” the keeper brought both hands back to the tub and got the washcloths wet again and replaced them in the spots as Gram had instructed. “You had me pretty scared there. How are you feeling?”

“Thirsty.”

Ashlyn watched her for a minute to see if she could hold her head up by herself long enough for the blonde to run downstairs and get her water and some ice cubes. She tried to calculate how long it would take her as she watched Ali’s head bob up and down as she struggled to stay awake. Ashlyn didn’t like it. She was afraid the brunette would slip down into the water and drown if she left her like that. She was pretty sure she was being overdramatic but she didn’t care. Just then she realized that Ali might have a bottle of water on her nightstand. She decided to chance it and was back in thirty seconds with a half-full bottle of water.

“Here baby, can you take a drink?” She held the mouth of the bottle to Ali’s lips and tipped her head back. She poured a little in her mouth and it all ran down her lips and chin. “Let’s try again. Here we go.” This time a little bit went into her mouth and Ashlyn was relieved when Ali swallowed. But the grimace of pain on the brunette’s face that followed made Ashlyn cringe. “Oh honey...”

After several more minutes Ali started shivering and her teeth started chattering. She was still really hot but Gram said that if she started shivering it was time to get her out of the tub. Ashlyn lifted Ali up to her feet, this time Ali helped a little bit. The keeper got her to stand up long enough so she could dry her off and then she walked her, mostly carrying her, back to her bed. The blonde went to Ali’s dresser and rifled through drawers until she found a clean pair of pajama pants and a long sleeved t-shirt. She dressed the brunette and eased her back into bed under the covers. Ashlyn went and got two washcloths and put one on her forehead and the other on the front of her neck. The keeper knew it wasn’t the same as the back of the neck but she figured it was better than nothing.

With the brunette safely back in bed Ashlyn surveyed the room. There were two empty water bottles, some saltines, two pieces of cheese, and a jar of peanut butter on the other side of the bed. The keeper’s eye twitched a little at the sight of all the food on the bed. She finally saw Ali’s phone on the floor by the nightstand. It was dead. Ali had probably tried to plug it in to charge it and dropped it. That explained a lot. The blonde picked it up and plugged it in to the charger cord on the nightstand, then silenced it.

The other thing Gram said needed to happen right away was to get her drinking as much water as possible. If she had the flu, which is what Gram thought it was, she would be dehydrated. And if possible she should try to get her to take some ibuprofen for the muscle aches. If she didn’t have them yet from the flu itself she would definitely get them soon because of the shivering from the fever.

Ali was already asleep again. Ashlyn kissed the top of her head and gathered up everything off the bed and nightstand and brought it downstairs to the kitchen. The kitchen was a disaster too. Drawers and cupboards were open or half-open and there were saltines on the floor and cheese on the counter. She had run through so quickly when she got the back door open that she hadn’t even noticed. The keeper tidied everything up and took stock of what was in the house for food. Not much. Her own hunger hit her suddenly as she looked into Ali’s mostly empty refrigerator. It was just after 2pm and she hadn’t eaten lunch. First things first. She found some straws in the back of the silverware drawer and took two of them with her as she brought a bottle of Gatorade and two bottles of water upstairs with her. She forgot the advil and had to go back down to get it, muttering to herself as she went. 

Ashlyn woke Ali up with a gentle shake and was happy to see that she wasn’t shivering at the moment. Her beautiful brunette was still really out of it which was adorable as well as unsettling and concerning. Her eyes were half-closed and puffy. The keeper had her drink some Gatorade and some water, using a straw this time, and she gave her two advil. Ali grimaced every time she swallowed, the last time a tear squeezed out of one eye and ran down the side of her face.

“Aw baby I’m so sorry that hurts. Is your throat sore honey?” she asked as she brushed the tear away and kissed her sweaty forehead. Ali nodded and her face scrunched up and she started to cry. Ashlyn sat on the edge of the bed and leaned the brunette forward into her chest, slowly rubbing her back with one hand while she held onto the back of Ali’s head with the other.

“Shhhh, it’s ok sweetheart, I’m here. I know you feel awful now but I promise you’re going to feel better soon. It’s going to be ok baby.”

Ali cried for ten minutes. The kind of cry where you just want to give up because too many things hurt and you just want it to stop. She was hot and sweaty and miserable and Ashlyn would have done anything to make her feel better. Anything. When Ali stopped crying the keeper helped her try and blow her nose and then tucked her back into bed with the covers up under her neck. She propped her head up a little bit to try and help her breathe and hopefully fight some of the congestion. Ashlyn brought another washcloth in and put it on her forehead and asked the brunette to try and keep it there if she could. 

It was time to figure out what medication to give her and see if she had any of it in the house. Just as Ashlyn was starting to get frustrated because she couldn’t find any medicine in the house her phone rang. It was Sydney telling her to open the front door. 

“Holy shit, what happened to you?” Sydney asked as she walked into the house and looked at Ashlyn.

The keeper had to look in the mirror to see what the coach was talking about. Her clothes were half wet from the bath. The front of her shirt had snot all over it and was wet from the bath and Ali’s tears. And her face was pale and still looked a little panic-stricken.

“You’re like a human petri dish, stay back.” Sydney jokingly made the sign of the cross as she carried three bags into the kitchen. “I can’t stay long, we have to get up to a fundraiser tonight for the team.”

Sydney unpacked two bags of food and put it away as Ashlyn started to ask her about medicines that Ali used. The coach made a big dramatic show of opening the third bag which had all the different medicines they used. Of course Sydney would know all of that. They grew up together, had lived together and were incredibly close.

“Syd, I don’t know what to say. You’re an angel.” Ashlyn moved towards her to give her a hug, jokingly holding her gross shirt out towards her. Sydney screamed and pushed her away.

“Get back demon!” she laughed. “I figured you might need a few things. Last time I was here the cupboards were pretty bare. And she never gets sick. We used to joke about it. But when she does it’s bad and she never has any medicine because it’s all expired because she never gets sick.” She walked into the downstairs bathroom and pulled a square wicker basket off one of the shelves in the closet and brought it into the kitchen. “Here you go.”

Ashlyn looked and almost every bottle or box of medicine was expired. She threw them all away and put the new ones Sydney had brought back in their place.

“So what are we dealing with?” Sydney asked.

Ashlyn told her what had happened and what she had surmised so far. Bad fever, sore throat, stuffy nose and head. She told her about the food she found on the bed too.

“Why was she on the bathroom floor?” the coach furrowed her brows as she thought about it. “She likes saltines or pretzels if her stomach’s upset. Did she puke?”

“Not since I’ve been here, but that would explain why she was on the bathroom floor. Threw up and couldn’t get back to bed. Poor thing. You should see her, it’s so sad. She’s out of her mind with the fever. It would be hysterical if it wasn’t so sad.”

“Oh I’m totally going up and checking in. I’m getting a picture too” she giggled. “I got the soup she likes when she’s sick and the crackers to go with it.”

“Not saltines with the soup?” Ashlyn asked, confused.

“Nope. These buttercrisp crackers go with the soup. You break them in half, maybe smaller if she’s really sick. But don’t crumble them” she spoke fast as she put the crackers on the counter next to the soup. “You only make that mistake once” she chuckled and smiled.

The blonde got some paper and a pen and took notes about everything Sydney told her. The coach walked the keeper through everything and Ashlyn was so grateful she almost started to cry.

It was just after 4pm when Sydney left and it was time to wake Ali up to make sure she drank enough liquids. Gram said to wake her up every couple of hours so she didn’t get too dehydrated. Ashlyn brought up a hot cup of Theraflu and squeezed a bunch of honey into it. She brought the honey bear up with her because Sydney said she liked a lot of honey and the keeper wasn’t sure exactly how much that actually was.

Ali was just as out of it as she had been two hours earlier. The blonde took her temperature, helping Ali keep the thermometer under her tongue for the fifteen seconds necessary for an accurate reading. 103.6 degrees. Ashlyn propped her up on a bunch of pillows so she could drink. She sat next to the brunette on the edge of the bed again to try and help her sip the Theraflu. Ali had sucked down some Gatorade and a good bit of water through the straw when she first woke up and the keeper was optimistic. But the Theraflu was a disaster. It was too hot and as soon as it hit the brunette’s lips and tongue she pulled back and tried to turn her head away. Ashlyn moved the cup away but it was too late. Ali’s face contorted in slow motion as her frazzled brain processed the pain from the hot liquid that had just burned her lips and tongue. She scrunched her beautiful face up again and cried even harder than she had the last time.

“I’m sorry baby. That was too hot, wasn’t it? I’m so sorry Ali” the blonde put the cup on the nightstand and held her girlfriend as her tears fell. Ashlyn bit her lip to keep from crying herself. She was furious with herself for being so stupid about the hot drink. 

After Ali calmed down again the keeper settled her back in bed with freshly wet washcloths and went back downstairs. She was angry and scared and hungry. She called Gram again.

“Gram I don’t know what to do. She’s still out of it and I just burned her mouth because the Theraflu was too fucking hot...”

“Now you listen to me Bashy, are you listening?” Gram interrupted sternly.

There was a pause and the old woman heard her granddaughter suck in a shaky breath.

“Yes” Ashlyn finally answered in a small voice.

“You’re doing just fine honey. She has a fever and you can’t really do much until it breaks. Don’t try to give her any food or any medicine like that until her fever breaks. You can give her some more ibuprofen in a few hours if she’ll swallow it but that’s it for now. Do you understand me?” she asked in a calm voice full of kindness and love.

“Yes ma’am. She’s so sick Gram” the blonde said sadly.

“If the fever hasn’t broken by tomorrow morning then we will worry. But once it breaks she’ll be a totally different patient. It’ll happen just like that” she snapped her fingers as she spoke. “You’ll see. She’ll be herself again and she can tell you how she feels and what hurts and what she needs. Until then you just keep her hydrated and comfortable. Ok?”

“Ok Gram. I can do that.”

“Have you eaten dinner yet?” Gram asked, recognizing the unmistakable signs that the blonde had not eaten recently.

“No, I haven’t had lunch yet” Ashlyn chuckled, knowing she was going to hear it from her grandmother for trying to take care of someone else without feeding herself first.

“Honestly Ashlyn,” Gram started but changed her mind. “Please make yourself something to eat. Ali will sleep. You eat so you can take care of her tonight.”

“Ok Gram I will. I love you.”

“I love you too. Now go on and eat.”

Six hours and three hydration wake-ups later Ashlyn walked down the stairs with an empty water and Gatorade bottle in each hand. Ali’s temperature was still high but lower than it had been, 102.9 degrees, and the keeper was encouraged at the slight progress. After her phone call with Gram she had ordered a pizza to be delivered. While she waited for the pizza she tidied up the upstairs bathroom and put a load of towels and washcloths in the washing machine in the basement. Ashlyn felt like Wonder Woman after she ate almost the entire pizza. She didn’t even order a salad or anything else with it, just the pepperoni and mushroom pizza with extra cheese. She continued to wake Ali every two hours and made her drink water and Gatorade. The keeper spent her time in between those wake-ups cleaning the upstairs bathroom, finishing the towels and then washing the dirty sheets she found in the hamper in Ali’s bedroom, and then cleaning the kitchen. After she ordered the pizza she had borrowed one of Ali’s t-shirts and sweatshirts, careful to avoid the Penn State and BU gear in the brunette’s drawers. She texted Whitney to let her know she would be staying at Ali’s, and she texted Sydney to thank her again and update her on the small amount of progress being made.

When she went upstairs just after midnight to wake Ali up she found the brunette sitting up and hunched over in the bed. Ashlyn got excited and thought the fever had broken but it hadn’t. Ali was still shivering and sweating and out of it but she kept trying to get out of bed. Finally it occurred to the blonde...

“Do you have to pee?” she asked the brunette.

Ali, her eyes still half-closed, nodded her head slowly. 

“Ok baby, let me help you.”

Ashlyn helped her stand up and walked, mostly carrying, her into the bathroom. She lifted the toilet lid and turned the brunette around, carefully pulling her pajama pants down and helping her sit on the toilet. Ashlyn stood in front of her in case she lost her balance and she smiled when Ali leaned forward and rested her head on the keeper. She caressed her head and gently rubbed her back.

“I love you Ali” she said softly.

As she stood there Ashlyn had an epiphany. This was what being in love meant. She was tired and sore and anxious, surrounded by sickness and all its’ gory details. She would be in this same situation for the foreseeable future, for as long as it took. There was no music playing, no game or movie on the tv, no app on the phone. There were chores to be done and messes to be cleaned up and bodies to heal. And still, standing there in the bathroom, in the middle of the night, holding her beautiful brunette like that was the only thing that mattered. Even if Ali didn’t realize what was happening, even if she didn’t remember any of it in the morning. There was no place else in the whole universe that Ashlyn would rather be. She finally understood what it meant to truly love someone.

Two hours later she climbed the stairs for what she hoped would be the last time that night. It was almost 2:30am and she had just finished another hydration wake up. She carried the two big sofa cushions upstairs and put them together on the floor in Ali’s room as a makeshift mattress. Ashlyn took off her pants, socks, sweathshirt and bra. She went over to check on her girlfriend one last time, pressing a kiss to her still sweaty forehead and brushing some of her long dark hair away from her sweaty neck. 

“I’ll be right here if you need me baby” she said, pointing to her bed three feet away on the floor. 

The keeper folded a top sheet in half and crawled between the two halves like it was a sleeping bag. She pulled a blanket over the sheet and adjusted the pillow from the guest room under her weary head. She set the alarm on her phone for two hours and practically passed out. 

At 7:15am Ashlyn woke up suddenly but wasn’t sure why. She looked at her phone and saw that the alarm wasn’t due to go off for another forty-five minutes. The keeper rubbed her eyes and groaned as she shifted her weight off of her stiff right shoulder. She quickly reviewed the situation in her head. She had gotten up twice to wake Ali up for water and Gatorade. Her temperature had been 100.3 degrees the last time which was good improvement. She sat up on the couch cushions and looked over at the bed.

“Ashlyn?” Ali said in a quiet, raspy voice.

The keeper got up and went to the bed. Ali was sitting up and still looked a mess, but her eyes were open and more alert than they had been since Ashlyn got there seventeen hours ago.

“Hey baby, you’re awake” Ashlyn’s own voice sounded raw and tired. “I’m so glad to see you” she said and beamed at the brunette as she sat on the edge of the bed. 

Ali’s lips trembled and she started to cry again.

“Oh no, don’t cry” Ashlyn said soothingly as she pulled Ali into a big hug. “Don’t cry baby. Shhhhh...” 

“You’re here” Ali said softly, into Ashlyn’s chest. She tried to get her arms out from under the covers so she could hug the blonde back but she was so exhausted she couldn’t manage it on her own.

“Here,” Ashlyn sat back and pulled the covers down to Ali’s waist, freeing her arms. “Is this what you want honey?”

“Mmmhmm” the brunette whimpered pathetically.

Ali lifted her tired arms up and wrapped them around Ashlyn’s waist. She barely squeezed but did the best she could to hug her keeper tight.

“I love you so much Ali. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you awake this morning.” Ashlyn held the back of her head again, still not convinced she could hold it up herself yet, and rubbed her back as they hugged. It felt amazing.

“Where are your pants?” Ali asked, confused, when her tired arms finally rested on Ashlyn’s lap and the bed behind her.

“They’re over there” Ashlyn chuckled and nodded towards her mattress. “I didn’t want to sleep in them.”

“You slept here? What time is it? I don’t think I can go to Rockport today...”

The blonde realized that Ali had no idea what had happened and was, justifiably, very confused. She had lost an entire day.

“It’s ok baby, we’re not going anywhere. I’m going to stay here with you today ok?” Ashlyn said sweetly.

“Come to bed and hold me” Ali requested in a small voice.

The keeper leaned the brunette back against the pillows and tucked her arms back under the covers. 

“First let’s drink and take your temperature ok?” Ashlyn said as she held the straw to Ali’s lips. 

Her temperature was down to 99.4 degrees. Hallelujah! The keeper had Ali take two advil with more water and Gatorade and then kissed her lightly on the lips. Ashlyn grabbed the pillow from her mattress and climbed into Ali’s bed with her. It didn’t matter what kind of sickness or food was in there too, she would never be able to deny a request like that from her beautiful brunette. She set her alarm for two hours and put her phone on the other nightstand.

“Alright honey, here we go” she said as she lay down next to Ali and wrapped her arm around her midsection. She threw her leg over the brunette and hugged her tight as Ali hummed her approval and snuggled into her keeper.

It wasn’t until much later that afternoon that Ashlyn told her the whole story of the day before. The blonde had just finished changing Ali’s bed and helping her out of the shower. The brunette was still very sick and weak but at least she was herself again since the fever was gone. She had successfully downed two cups of Theraflu, with the appropriate amount of honey, and had even had a little bit of chicken soup and crackers before her shower. Ali was tired, achy, congested and she had a pretty bad cough and a sore throat. Typical flu symptoms. 

The Breakers had been given Monday off after that cold rainy game Friday night. It couldn’t have been more perfect timing for Ashlyn. 

“So you were here the whole time?” Ali asked as she settled back under the covers, appreciating the clean sheets and her clean body.

Ashlyn told her all about how scary it had been to find her like that on the bathroom floor, and about the bath and the panicked call to Gram. She didn’t take any credit that wasn’t hers, praising Sydney to the rooftops for swooping in when she did and saving the day.

Ali chuckled hoarsely and smiled. “Yeah, Syd’s the best. I just love her.”

“I was already pretty fond of her, don’t tell her that though, but I freaking love her now” Ashlyn giggled. “It was like in ‘The Hunger Games’. She somehow saw what I needed and it just appeared, floating down in a little parachute.”

Ashlyn had run to the store earlier that afternoon, during one of Ali’s naps, and bought a bunch of food she wanted to eat as well as a bunch of Echinacea and other things that would help her stay healthy while she took care of Ali for the next few days. During Ali’s post-shower nap the blonde had driven all the way home to Gloucester to get clean clothes, her journal and some other odds and ends to bring back to Ali’s house.

When she climbed the stairs just before 6pm she could hear the brunette talking on her phone. She didn’t want to interrupt but she needed to give Ali her next dose of advil and she was re-heating her leftover pizza so she didn’t want to dawdle. The keeper entered the room quietly and put a vase full of fresh daffodils on the dormer window shelf. 

“And she just brought me the most beautiful daffodils...” Ali croaked into her phone as she smiled at the keeper. Her voice was still scratchy and raw and she sounded awfully stuffed up but she was Ali again.

“Yeah, I’ll tell her mom...”

Ashlyn held her palm out and Ali picked up the two pills and put them in her mouth as the blonde held the straw to her lips for her. She swallowed, grimaced and looked up gratefully at her keeper. Ashlyn kissed her on the forehead.

“Mom says hi, and thank you for taking such good care of me,” Ali rasped to the keeper as her forehead was kissed.

“Hi Deb” Ashlyn said towards the phone and then left the room.

The next day, Monday, Ali made real progress. After both women got a good night’s sleep they both were happier and healthier. The brunette called in sick and told her sales manager she would probably be out the next day too. But, as always, if something urgent came up to email her and she would handle whatever it was. She called and talked with Kyle and Sydney and her dad and told them all she was on the mend. Her throat felt better and that was the biggest contribution to her improved mood. She was still sore and achy and her head was still stuffed up and she was still exhausted but at least her throat felt better. That was pretty much the only thing she was a baby about when it came to colds, a sore throat. She was as tough as nails throughout almost anything else but she couldn’t stand having a sore throat.

They were getting into bed to take a nap Monday afternoon and as soon as Ashlyn settled back and opened her arms for her to snuggle into, the brunette was on her. Ali worked her hand under the keeper’s shirt and rubbed her breasts and tweaked both nipples while she brought her knee up and pressed it firmly to Ashlyn’s core. She leaned over and kissed the blonde’s cheek, moving her hot mouth to her ear and sucking on the lobe.

“Al, what are you doing babe?” Ashlyn asked evenly, not sure how to handle the situation. She had heard about people getting horny when they were sick but she had never encountered it herself. And, honestly, the blonde couldn’t imagine a scenario where she would say no to Ali, but she wasn’t sure if the extra activity would be harmful or hurtful for her recovery.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Ali said in a low rasp, her still recovering throat making her voice even lower than usual. 

The brunette continued her kiss down Ashlyn’s neck and climbed on top of her, moaning quietly.

“I thought we were going to nap. You still need to get your rest honey” the blonde said sweetly as her nipples stiffened under Ali’s touch.

Ali stopped and sat up slowly. She looked down at the keeper with a mixture of confusion and sadness on her face. She tilted her head to the side just a little and tentatively asked, “Don’t...don’t you want to?”

Ashlyn’s heart broke at the sight of her. Her hair was up in what used to be a messy bun but had fallen half-way down the side of her head with long loose strands hanging out on the other side. Her face was puffy and ruddy and somehow still pale. The warm amber eyes that Ashlyn loved so much were tinged with red and looked tired and itchy. Her beautiful lips were dry and cracked and the skin around her nose red and chapped. The scent of the vick’s vapor rub that Ashlyn had spread onto the brunette’s chest earlier in the day wafted up from Ashlyn’s chest where Ali had just been a minute ago. The brunette’s bottom lip started to quiver as she waited unsteadily for Ashlyn’s answer.

“Of course I want to,” Ashlyn put her hands on Ali’s hips and squeezed them. It was the absolute truth. All Ashlyn saw at that moment was the love of her life, the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She was relieved to see the brunette’s lip stop moving. “I always want to, don’t ever doubt that Al.” 

The lustful look in the keeper’s eyes re-assured Ali and calmed her sickness-addled nerves.

“I’m just trying to do the right thing and take care of you baby, that’s all” the blonde explained, still struggling with what to do. 

“So take care of me then” Ali said in the most seductive voice she could muster, lying back down on top of the keeper and kissing Ashlyn’s neck again.

“Yes ma’am” the blonde answered and moved her hands to Ali’s ass, slowly squeezing and kneading. 

Ali moaned into her neck and brought her hands to Ashlyn’s breasts, squeezing them and pinching her nipples through her t-shirt.

“Mmmmm, feels good baby” the keeper moaned out as she slid her hands under the back of Ali’s shirt and started roaming her strong back. After a few more minutes Ashlyn slid her hands inside the back of the brunette’s pajama pants and inhaled sharply at the feel of the soft skin of her bare ass.

“Oh yeah, mmmmm...” the blonde hummed.

It took a few more minutes before Ashlyn realized that her girlfriend had stopped moving and was snoring lightly against her neck. The keeper sighed and chuckled lightly as she wrapped her arms around Ali and hugged her. She reached for the covers and pulled them up and over them both, leaving the brunette right where she was, drooling into her neck.

Ashlyn smiled, kissed Ali’s head softly and said “I love you.”


	9. Marathon Weekend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang. I think I can start updating a chapter every day or every other day on this one now.  
> Smut warning at the beginning of this chapter.

The Breakers 2016 season kick-off meet and greet for supporters and VIPs was Thursday night that week and Ali didn’t feel like it would be a good idea for her to go. She was finally feeling better and didn’t want to risk any setbacks. The flu had knocked her on her butt for almost five full days. She technically went back to work on Wednesday but stayed home and caught up on emails and phone calls. She worked from home Thursday and Friday too, doing the work that came from those emails and phone calls.

Ashlyn stayed with her as much as she could until the team flew to DC on Friday afternoon. She went to her meetings and trainings and did her workouts at the Breakers facility on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. She went to the meet and greet Thursday night and was one of the most popular players there, staying as late as the Breakers security people would allow her to sign autographs and take pictures with the supporters and VIPs. She slept at Ali’s every night that week, unable to make herself drive past Stoneham and go to Gloucester.

And Ali was indeed one of those people who got horny when they were sick. Ashlyn was amused to discover that Monday’s nap dalliance was not a one-time thing, although Monday’s outcome wasn’t repeated. The brunette had successfully completed her mission Tuesday morning, waking her keeper up with her mouth between her long legs. Ali surprised Ashlyn in the shower Wednesday afternoon when the blonde came home after training too. And late Thursday night when Ashlyn climbed into Ali’s bed after the meet and greet and spooned her, the brunette had come alive again. The team didn’t have to report until it was time for their flight Friday afternoon and the couple took advantage, knowing they could sleep in. 

“Wow babe, that was soooo good” Ali said as she tried to catch her breath. 

Ashlyn crawled back up the brunette’s body and lay down next to her. She trailed one hand behind her and ghosted touches up Ali’s thigh and stomach and then rested her hand just below her breast. 

“Thank you” Ali murmured as she brought their lips together in a slow kiss, moaning when she tasted herself on Ashlyn’s tongue. The brunette felt her clit start to throb again, mere minutes after the blonde had just given her an orgasm. She rubbed her thighs together and closed her eyes, trying to stay in control. It was her keeper’s turn. Ali’s need would have to wait.

“Mmmmm, baby, yeah” Ashlyn moaned as the brunette straddled her right leg and flipped her long brown hair over the side of her head. Ali started grinding down on the keeper’s thigh as she moved her hands to Ashlyn’s breasts. She kissed the blonde again, dueling with her tongue and sucking on her bottom lip.

Ashlyn reached around and grabbed two handfuls of the sexiest ass in the world, squeezing it hard and making Ali suck in her breath in response.

“Fuck Ash, I can’t believe how hot you make me. I’m gonna come again just from getting you off babe” Ali purred against the keeper’s lips.

Ashlyn saw how dark the brunette’s eyes were and felt the passion start to pool between her own legs.

“Jesus” she breathed out as she moved Ali’s hips back and forth against her thigh. She was so wet again that she slid easily back and forth, making the blonde’s core ache even more. “Fuck you’re sexy” she husked out, desire making her voice low and hungry.

Ali sat up and bit her bottom lip. Her eyes were so lidded that Ashlyn could barely see the cinnamon she loved so much. The brunette reached behind her with one hand and ran her fingers up through the keeper’s soaking wet folds. The sensation made Ali squirm and brought another wave of passion to her core.

Ashlyn felt the new juices on her thigh and saw the look on Ali’s face.

“Hey, let’s try something, ok?” she tried to get Ali’s attention and moved her hands to the brunette’s nipples and pinched them lightly.

“Ohhhh, mmmmm” Ali moaned. “What do you wanna try babe?” she asked breathlessly, trying to focus.

Ashlyn kept her hands on the brunette’s breasts and abs, fingers spread wide as she caressed her soft skin.

“I want you to eat me out while I eat you out” the blonde explained and moved her hands back to Ali’s hips, sliding her back and forth along her thigh again.

“You mean 69?” Ali asked, wanting to be sure she understood. She was so distracted by how good the keeper’s leg felt against her pussy.

“Yeah, have you ever done that before?”

“Unh Uh” Ali shook her head no.

“Come here” Ashlyn pulled her down and kissed her passionately, grabbing her ass again and loving the feel of their stiff nipples rubbing against each other. Ali bit the blonde’s lip hard, making Ashlyn hiss in pain and then groan in pleasure as she soothed it with her tongue. The keeper rolled them over so Ali was on her back. She propped another pillow under the brunette’s head as they kissed deeply.

“Are you ready baby?” she looked into Ali’s eyes and saw lust and love and trust there.

“Mmmm hmmm” the brunette answered and kneaded Ashlyn’s ass with both hands.

The keeper kissed her once more and then sat up, appreciating how gorgeous her girlfriend was as she lay there, waiting. Ashlyn lifted her wet center off of Ali and turned around so her back was to the brunette. She backed her knees up towards the head of the bed and bent over, dragging her hard nipples across Ali’s lower abdomen. She heard Ali moan behind her and the blonde smiled as she bent her head down and placed a slow broad lick from the brunette’s clit down to the bottom of her entrance. The moan she had heard from Ali a minute ago turned into a groan mixed with expletives and sharp gasps of breath. The keeper pulled both of Ali’s legs up until her knees were bent and her feet were flat on the bed, giving her better access to the brunette’s drenched pussy.

“Mmmmm. Fuck you taste so good” the blonde murmured as she brought her tongue through Ali’s folds again.

Ashlyn wanted to start first so Ali didn’t feel pressured or rushed, but she was aching for some contact. She was on her elbows and knees, hovering above the brunette, and she bent her legs at the hips and moved her ass back towards Ali’s face. She felt the brunette’s hands run up and down her thighs and she kept lowering herself until she felt Ali’s nipples pressing up into the bottom of her stomach. She kept working on Ali’s entrance, sucking and licking and nibbling her lips. Ashlyn knew Ali was really worked up so she purposely avoided her clit for the time being.

“Ash, oh yesssss. Fuck. Babe” Ali tilted her hips up as the blonde licked and sucked her hot center. She put both hands on Ashlyn’s hips and pulled her dripping pussy down farther onto her face and covered her nose and chin in the keeper’s passion, moaning loudly into her folds. 

“Fuck! Yes!” Ashlyn yelled out, excited to feel some pressure on her pulsing center. 

The sound of the blonde’s voice sent Ali into another gear and she dove in, thrusting her hot tongue into Ashlyn’s pussy as far as she could reach. She swirled it around and pressed it up against her g-spot a few times before starting to thrust in and out over and over again.

Ashlyn’s legs shook for a few seconds and she had to concentrate as she sucked on Ali’s clit. She licked around it and then sucked it into her mouth again, hard.

Ali gasped, close to her release.

The keeper ran her fingers through the brunette’s soaking wet folds, covering them with her juices. She groaned at the intoxicating scent of her girlfriend, right under her nose. Ali’s hips were rocking upwards, looking for pressure and contact. Ashlyn pushed two fingers inside the brunette’s core and closed her eyes at the amazing sensation of her silky walls all around them. She moved her fingers in slowly, going as far as she possibly could. Ali was so wet and wanting that the keeper added a third finger, slowly, to try and get some friction for her love.

“Oh my fucking God...Ashlyn...Unnhh...” Ali grunted as the blonde started thrusting her fingers faster and faster. The keeper bit the inside of Ali’s thigh and then moved her mouth back to her clit. She sucked and licked it again and then flicked her tongue back and forth across it. She knew Ali would come any minute and she wanted to come too. The brunette’s tongue felt amazing inside her but she needed more. Ali was starting to lose control, so close to her orgasm. Ashlyn reached down between their bodies and rubbed her own clit, already more than wet from Ali’s talented tongue and her own dripping juices.

It didn’t take long, another few flicks of her tongue on Ali’s clit and an upward angle on her thrusts inside her pussy sent the brunette hurtling over the edge. 

Ali squeezed her thighs against Ashlyn’s head as the orgasm overtook her, sending shockwaves through her body that made her shake and convulse in pleasure. She shouted into the blonde’s core as she came. 

Something about being held in place by those incredible thighs made Ashlyn’s head spin. She felt Ali’s tongue losing focus and increased her speed on her own clit. In another few seconds she had followed her beautiful brunette into ecstasy with a loud groan and a mangled cry “Ali!” She dropped her chest down onto the brunette, her legs had turned to jelly as the orgasm rolled through her body.

They writhed and thrashed against each other for what felt like forever until their bodies finally came to rest, only the occasional twitch still sparking in a leg or an arm. Ashlyn rolled off of the brunette, still panting, and reached for her hand. Ali reached over and put her right hand on top of the blonde’s hip and pulled her closer while she intertwined their fingers with her left hand. The keeper moved closer to Ali and rested her head on the brunette’s stomach, pressing a kiss to her skin.

“Holy fuck. That was unbelievable” Ali said each word individually, trying to catch her breath. She was trying to get her eyes to focus on the beautiful blonde.

“Yeah?” Ashlyn asked, out of breath too. “Did you like that?” the keeper reached a hand up and moved some of the long brown hair off of Ali’s beautiful, flushed face.

Ali got shy all of a sudden. “Yeah, I did. A lot. I’m sorry I couldn’t make you come without your help babe. I got so distracted and then when I came I couldn’t...I just got useless.” She chuckled and looked away bashfully. “But I’ll get better.”

Ashlyn was surprised that Ali had even noticed her hand down there. She cupped the brunette’s face with her hand, gently rubbing her thumb along her cheekbone.

“Don’t be sorry baby. I had an awesome orgasm.” Ashlyn closed her eyes and shuddered as she remembered. “And for the record, when I die, I want it to be with my head pressed between your gorgeous thighs. Fuck that was hot.”

// 

Friday morning Ali slipped out of bed and went downstairs to make a big breakfast for Ashlyn. When the keeper came downstairs forty-five minutes later she looked tired and happy and hungry. She wrapped her arms around Ali and gave her a kiss, reaching one hand inside her pajama pants and squeezing her bare ass.

“Morning” she smirked against Ali’s lips.

“Morning babe” Ali grinned into the kiss and patted the blonde on her butt as she shooed her into the dining room so they could eat.

Ashlyn sat down and noticed that the brunette had brought the daffoils down and put them in the center of the table. They were still looking beautiful. They ate in a pleasant quiet, exchanging flirty glances and soft smiles with their legs tangled together beneath the table.

“Thank you so much for taking care of me this week Ashlyn.” Ali reached out and put her hand on the blonde’s forearm. “Nobody’s ever taken such good care of me and I want you to know I really appreciate it.”

Ashlyn picked up her hand, brought it her lips and tenderly kissed each knuckle. “I love you princess. I’d do anything in the world for you.”

//

And just like that it was Patriot’s Day weekend. The Breakers lost their first game of the season on Saturday night in DC as the Spirit beat them 1-0. The only goal came from none other than Joanna Lohman. She scored on a bicycle kick early in the game. The good news was that the defense had solidified after the goal and played very well for the rest of the game. The bad news was that the struggles they had in preseason finishing and scoring had continued. 

Ashlyn heard about the bike kick all weekend long too. She had arranged to stay in DC for the long weekend to visit Meg. She stayed with her old teammate and roommate Jo Lohman as she had done the last time she visited in January.

The April visit with Meg went much better than the January one had. The adorable four year old warmed up to Ashlyn almost instantly. They spent all day Sunday together with Ashlyn going back to Hannah’s apartment with them after dinner to put Meg to bed. When they went into the little girl’s bedroom to read a couple of books before bed, she pulled a shoe box out from underneath her big girl bed to show Ashlyn all of the letters she had received from the blonde. They grinned at each other as they put the box safely back under the bed where it would wait for the next letter. Ashlyn stayed and talked with Hannah for over an hour after she put Meg to bed. The conversation stayed very much on the subject of Meg and how she was doing in preschool and making arrangements for the next visit. 

The keeper met Jo and some old teammates and friends out at a club afterwards and they drank and danced like the good old days. Lots and lots of beautiful women approached Ashlyn but this time none of them even registered for the blonde. Jo noticed the big change and quizzed her about it over breakfast the next morning.

“So she’s the one huh? That’s awesome Ash. I’m really happy for you” Jo enthused. “She’s easy on the eyes too. Way to go you big stud.”

“I love her Jo. I’m hooked. I’m done. I’m whipped. I’m ridiculously happy.”

Meg had asked to go back to the zoo with Ashlyn again. Apparently it had really made an impression on her in January and she’d been talking about it ever since. Hannah brought Meg to the zoo but waited in the lobby area while Ashlyn took her through all the exhibits. She wanted to let them have their time alone. She would have let Ashlyn take her to the zoo by herself entirely but the blonde was going right to the airport from the zoo so that wouldn’t work. But they were at that point. Hannah had always trusted Ashlyn with Meg.

Saying goodbye was still difficult for both Meg and Ashlyn but the little girl seemed better able to understand that the keeper would keep coming back for visits when she could. And in between visits they had their letters and phone calls and facetimes. The blonde had told Meg she could pick out any stuffed animal she wanted from the zoo gift shop and she would buy it for her. Sweet Meg took her time and looked up and down the row of stuffed animals, finally picking out a stuffed great white shark. When the keeper tried to give it to her when they met Hannah in the lobby the little girl had told her that she picked it out for her because she knew she loved sharks. Ashlyn’s heart swelled with love for the thoughtful toddler.

“How about this then,” Ashlyn proposed a solution, “I’ll keep this shark and bring it home with me and let’s go back in and get you a stuffed animal for you to keep in your room. Ok?”

“Mkay” Meg replied and took the keeper’s hand as they went back into the gift shop.

Hannah laughed when they came back out with a second shark, identical to the first one. Somehow it was the perfect solution.

//

When Ashlyn walked into the mudroom of the big old house Monday evening she put her suitcase down, took off her shoes and smiled from ear to ear when she heard Ali’s laughter ringing through the first floor rooms. She had been thrilled when she pulled in and saw her truck parked in the driveway. But the feeling she got as she stood there in the mudroom was so much better. That was how it was supposed to be. Knowing Ali was home, waiting for her, was the best feeling in the world. And not in some 1950s bullshit ‘barefoot and pregnant’ way. Just in the purest way possible. Ashlyn loved it when Ali was with her. She loved it when Ali was in her house. It was how it was supposed to be. Ashlyn hadn’t expected to see Ali that night. Kyle had come up for the long weekend and they had volunteered at the Boston Marathon together with Ali’s group of friends. The keeper knew Kyle was taking the train back to NYC the next afternoon but thought the siblings were visiting friends and then staying at Ali’s house. As she stood there smiling, Ali walked into the mudroom and cocked her head to the side.

“I thought I heard the door.” Ali stepped over to the blonde and kissed her lips as she wrapped her in a hug. She pulled back and looked at the smile on her girlfriend’s face. “What are you doing just standing there babe?”

“I’m just so happy you’re here” Ashlyn answered, the smile on her face never changing.

Ali brought their lips together again in a slow, meaningful kiss that was full of love. “I am too” she whispered.

They walked hand-in-hand into the family room where Whitney and Kyle were still sitting in the nook with their dinner plates in front of them. They were talking about whales and surfing and they both smiled brightly when they saw Ashlyn walk past the big two-sided fireplace towards them.

“Have you eaten yet Ash?” Ali asked her.

“No, not yet, but it can wait” she answered and hugged Kyle hello.

“Don’t be silly. I’ll fix you a plate.”

“I hope it’s ok that we totally crashed your place. I’ve been dying to see it since my sister won’t ever shut up about it” Kyle said teasingly.

“They didn’t crash. Ali called me. And she made dinner so that automatically negates a self-invitation” Whitney clarified. “I think that’s a rule somewhere in the etiquette world” the defender laughed.

Ashlyn could tell Whitney liked Kyle just by how easy and talkative she was being with him. The keeper could not have been more appreciative of all the good things that were happening in her life.

Ali came back with dinner and a glass of water for her girlfriend and practically sat on her lap in the nook as she ate it. Ashlyn ate and listened to the Kriegers tell their stories about their Marathon Monday adventures. She promised herself that she would do everything she could to volunteer at the marathon with Ali next year. 

“Is it ok if we stay over tonight?” Ali asked, looking at both Ashlyn and Whitney.

“Well, now it’s crashing. That just broke all the rules. I’m sorry” Whitney joked and got up to start clearing the dishes.

Everybody laughed and finally Ashlyn said “Of course it’s ok. I’d love it.” She kissed her girlfriend and squeezed her thigh.

Ali and Whitney cleaned up the dinner dishes and the kitchen and then moved into the front living room to chat. They hadn’t seen each other since the last preseason game right before Ali got the flu.

Ashlyn had taken Kyle on a tour of the house, happily showing him around all the rooms and talking about what was original and what had been changed and updated. They finished their tour up on the third floor in the room that Ashlyn planned to turn into her art studio. She asked Kyle for feedback and input on designing your own art studio. She knew he was primarily a photographer and that the lighting choices were different than for painters but she still valued his opinion.

“Hey I just need to tell you something, ok?” Kyle changed the subject after they had talked about the art studio for a while.

Ashlyn swallowed hard, suddenly very nervous. She liked Kyle a lot and they had a ton in common and she thought they could be really great friends. But he was still her girlfriend’s big brother, and an overprotective brother at that.

“Sure” Ashlyn said evenly, trying not to let on that she was nervous.

Kyle took a minute to get his emotions in check which only made the blonde more anxious.

“Thank you” Kyle started, as a tear formed in the corner of his eye, “for loving my sister the way you do.” He cleared his throat and fought his emotions again as he put his hands on both of Ashlyn’s shoulders. “I’ve just spent the whole weekend hearing about how wonderful you are, and not just from my sister. You have somehow earned Sydney’s approval too.” He waved his arms and laughed as he continued, “I don’t know what devil you made a deal with to make that happen, but that’s a big fucking deal.” 

Ashlyn laughed and smiled with him, relieved to hear his words. Kyle put his arm around her shoulder and continued.

“In fact, the only thing wrong with you is that you sometimes say things you shouldn’t say.” Kyle quirked an eyebrow and stared at the blonde for a minute, letting her sweat. “Girl, if I didn’t get forgiven for that, like weekly, I wouldn’t have anybody left to talk to!”

The laughter lightened the mood for a minute but then Kyle dove back into the deep water he was trying to get through. “She’s been through a lot and I know she’s told you all of it. That’s another big deal right there.” He hesitated for a minute, as if trying to decide what he wanted to say. “So, basically what I’m trying to say is that it looks like you’re the one.” He paused for emphasis and then continued, looking Ashlyn right in the eye. “So don’t fuck it up.”

It was Ashlyn’s turn to get emotional and she held onto Kyle as he started to turn away. She had something she wanted him to know too.

“I love her Kyle. It’s as simple and as complicated as that. She’s the one for me and I’m going to be with her for as long as she’ll let me. She’s my future, she’s my life, she’s my everything” she finished, her voice wavering a little but still strong. She didn't care how cheesy it sounded, it was the truth and she meant every single word.

He looked at her carefully, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall after the honest, simple, pure sentiment she had just shared with him.

“Well that’s good because I’m pretty sure she feels the exact same way.”


	10. Niki & Molly

The first home game of the season for The Breakers was on a cold, rainy and windy Sunday night at the end of April. New England outdoor sports in April could be hit or miss, and were usually miss. Ali remembered going to an evening Red Sox game in mid-May that was so cold that all the souvenir shops had sold out of every warm hat or mittens or scarves they had. More Red Sox fans bought new sweatshirts and jackets just so they could wear them that very night to try and stay warm. April was cold in New England. 

In an attempt to try and fill the stands for the home opener Ali had badgered a bunch of her friends to join her for the game. It was her same group of Boston Marathon volunteer friends, for the most part. Ali had grown up with them - Liz and Erica, or gone to BU with them - Carm and Jessie. One was a friend she had made at work, Heather – the one who had run the marathon last year, but she had left the company to do bigger and better things. Sydney had arranged for her entire high school girls soccer team to attend the game too. It was nowhere near a sell-out but the stands were more than half full and the fans were loud, responsive and appreciative. 

Ali pointed out the world class players on the field, Kim Little, Megan Rapinoe and Hope Solo for Seattle and Kyah Simon for The Breakers. She was quick to point out several of the really talented players that didn’t play regularly for their countries but were really the heart and soul of the league. The game had been closer than most people thought it would be. The Breakers hung close for most of the game before Seattle finally broke them down and won 3-0. It was disheartening because the defense had played so well for so much of the game. Ashlyn played a wonderful 90 minutes. She single-handedly kept the game from becoming a joke for the first twenty minutes as the defense settled down.

That was also the game where Jess Fishlock, a talented midfielder for Seattle who was a Welsh international, broke her leg and then got up and played on it for ten more minutes before finally leaving the game. That was the difference, Ali explained to her friends emotionally, between women’s professional soccer and men’s professional soccer.

After the game Ali’s group of friends met up with Ashlyn and the rest of the team at one of the local bars. Sydney had to help the other chaperones take the team back home so she had said goodbye at the field. The bar was busy for a Sunday night but not too packed. It was the same bar with the pool table that they had gone to last season, the first time Ali had met the team. A wave of nostalgia swept over the brunette as she and her friends huddled around a bunch of tables with their drinks. They were saving them for when the team arrived after greeting fans at autograph alley and showering and changing. 

Eventually the team showed up in three different groupings. As soon as the first group arrived Ali introduced everybody and then she and her friends went over to play pool. The brunette kept her eye on the door, waiting for her keeper to appear. She knew the blonde would be disappointed about the loss and upset about letting three balls past her. But Ashlyn had played well. She and Whitney both had played great games. As Ali and her friends racked up the balls for another game, the brunette caught sight of a swirl of blonde hair by the door. Her heart caught in her throat as she tried to get her eyes on Ashlyn, but there were too many people by the door. She hoped that feeling would never go away, even after they had been together for years and years.

Several minutes later Ali was finally able to see her girlfriend. Ashlyn was arm-in-arm with a woman who had short brown hair and a lanky athletic build. A new teammate maybe, Ali thought. She couldn’t stop watching the two of them together. There was something different about the way Ashlyn was with that woman. There was an intimacy that made Ali jealous. 

“Yo Kriegs, are you playing or what?” Jessie yelled across the pool table. 

“Ashlyn’s here. I want to bring her over to meet you guys” Ali answered, handing her pool stick to Carm. “I’ll be right back.”

As the brunette walked slowly towards the tables the team occupied, she thought about how odd it was to feel jealous. She had never considered herself the jealous type. But, she was realizing, maybe that was because nobody had ever made her jealous before. There certainly hadn’t been anybody trying to make any moves on Emily. That would have required she and Emily to have been out socializing. The brunette thought back to her year in Germany but that was no good either. She hadn’t been invested in either one of the people she dated over there. Could she be the jealous type after all? She didn’t want to be. She hoped she wasn’t. Sarah had been so devoted to her that jealousy never even had a chance to crop up in their relationship. Ali sighed and felt that familiar, gnawing pang of guilt every time she thought about Sarah. She would have to address that at some point, but not that night. The brunette thought back to Hannah and involuntarily cringed. Had she been jealous of Hannah? That should have been a straight up hell yes. But it wasn’t. She hated Hannah. That was not a word Ali used lightly either. Maybe that hatred superseded all other emotions. The brunette shook her head to try and clear her thoughts of the past as she got closer to the tables. 

Ali was close enough that she could see that the short haired woman was attractive, but not pretty. She dressed a lot like Ashlyn did. Ashlyn had her arm slung low around this woman’s hips, her thumb hooked inside the waistband of her jeans. Their heads were close together, very close. And their mouths were impossibly close to their ears as they whispered and talked. Ali stood where she was, ten feet away, and watched the keeper reach her free hand towards the other woman’s chest and examine whatever necklace she was wearing. Holy shit Ali was jealous! There had been so many new experiences with Ashlyn, but she never expected that one. Ali didn’t know who this woman was but she wanted her off of her keeper, pronto. The blonde leaned in close to the other woman’s ear and then she threw her head back and laughed at whatever the keeper had said. When her head went back Ashlyn caught sight of the brunette and her eyes lit up.

“Ali! There you are!” she exclaimed as she disentangled herself from the short-haired woman and made her way to her girlfriend.

Ali tried to push the jealousy away and, with one final thought about Ashlyn being much happier than usual so soon after a loss, she did. She smiled as Ashlyn hugged her and then kissed her lips hello. 

“Hi beautiful” the blonde said softly, “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too babe” Ali replied, gently poking her finger into her dimple and grinning. “You’re in a good mood.” Ali kissed her again. “I’m sorry about the game. You played great.” 

“Thanks baby. Thanks for being there. You didn’t get sick again did you?” the blonde asked with genuine concern in her eyes.

“No, I’m fine” she answered sweetly.

“Good. Hey, there’s someone I want you to meet.” Ashlyn led Ali by the hand over to the short-haired woman.

“Ali, this is Niki, one of my best friends in the whole world. Niki, this is Ali, the love of my life.” Ashlyn stood there beaming as she looked between the two women.

Relief instantly washed over Ali as she made the connection. She had heard Ashlyn talk about Niki but never seen a picture. Well, she was sure that she had seen Niki in a picture somewhere, but it was never made clear to her who she was. Niki was married and she and her wife had just had their first baby. Ali thought they lived in New York City though.

“Hi! It’s so nice to finally meet you” Ali said enthusiastically as they hugged hello.

“Likewise, I’ve heard so much about you that I feel like I already know you” Niki said, grinning.

“There she is!” Ashlyn said loudly as a pretty woman with medium length dirty-blonde hair walked over to them.

Niki opened her arm and the woman tucked herself under it with a cute smile as Niki kissed her temple and smiled.

“I was just about to send a search party” Niki teased quietly to the woman under her arm.

“The line was so long” the woman explained, shaking her head.

“Ali, this is Molly. Molly, this is Ali” Ashlyn used the short version introduction. “Molly and Niki have a five month old baby at home and it’s their first time leaving him so they’re freaking out” the keeper explained.

“Oh well, I hear it goes better if you get a sitter” Ali joked and they all laughed.

The four of them talked and looked at baby pictures on Niki’s phone and then Ali went back to check on her friends. Apparently Sydney had been texting Kristie Mewis and Jessie that they had to do a shot for her because she knew they’d get along great. Jessie and Carm had played soccer at BU with Sydney, that’s how Ali had met them, and they were all good friends. Ali told her friends that she needed to hang out with Ashlyn’s friends for a little bit because they weren’t staying long. She brought her friends back over to the team and introduced Jessie to Kristie and they did indeed hit it off. Ali laughed as she watched them head towards the bar.

Niki and Molly stayed for about another hour before heading home to their baby. Ali learned that Niki and Molly were both from Massachusetts originally but had travelled around a bit. They were married at the beginning of last year, had the baby in December and were moving back to the Boston area. They had just bought their first house in Arlington, a suburb just Northwest of Boston, right outside of Cambridge, and it was almost ready for them to move into. They were staying with family for the next month until the house was ready.

“Well if you need new windows, this is who you need to talk to” Ashlyn nodded at Ali.

“That’s right!” Molly said. “What a great person to have around, you know, when your friends are buying a new house and have a million questions.” She laughed easily and smiled warmly at Ali. 

It was easy to see that Niki and Molly were madly in love with each other. Ali liked them both immediately, struck by how warm and genuine they both were. Niki was shy and Molly was outgoing but they were both smart and funny and kind. It made the brunette very happy to know that Ashlyn had good people like them in her life.

“Any time. Please, and I really mean it. Let me come and look at what you’ve got. You may not need windows at all...”

“This is where she says ‘and this is me failing sales’” Ashlyn said and laughed. 

That was exactly what Ali would say next and often did. The brunette loved that Ashlyn listened to her enough when she made phone calls to customers that she knew that. 

“But that’s what’s so great about her. You never feel like she’s trying to sell you something” Ashlyn finished.

“Thanks, I think” Ali giggled.

“No, I just mean she’ll tell you the truth. Hell, I was about to sign on the dotted line and she knew I was stressed out about some construction problems and she, honest to God, told me to hold off on buying the windows if I needed to” Ashlyn recounted her own experience.

“Yeah but were you sleeping with her at the time?” Niki gently teased.

Ali blushed and Molly reached over and patted her arm as if to say she knew what it was like with those two when they got together.

“That’s the thing! I wasn’t!” Ashlyn said excitedly. “That’s what I mean. She’ll set you straight...well, no not really, ahem” Ashlyn giggled at her choice of words and Niki joined her. They were like teenage boys, adorable teenage boys. Molly rolled her eyes and winked at Ali, making her giggle.

Before Niki and Molly headed home for the night the two couples made plans to get together at Ashlyn’s house the following weekend. Ali and Molly also exchanged contact information so the brunette could help the new mom with any house questions that might come up. 

After they left, Ali pulled Ashlyn into a dark corner of the bar and gave her a slow passionate kiss that set the keeper on fire. 

“What was that for?” Ashlyn asked breathlessly, “not that I’m complaining.”

“I’ll tell you later.” Ali blinked up at the blonde shyly. “It’s embarrassing.”

She pulled the keeper by her hand over to her friends and made the introductions. Ashlyn was charming and funny as she talked with some of the women who knew Ali best. She made sure to congratulate Heather on her Boston Marathon run the year before. Ashlyn loved that story and told the proud runner so. Everybody had to work the next day, Monday, so it was an earlier night than usual. They all took a group selfie to send to Sydney, telling her how much they missed her.

Later that night Ashlyn was sitting in bed, watching Ali finish getting ready for bed. She would never get tired of that. She could watch the brunette do almost anything and be completely mesmerized by her. That night she could see her through the door to the master bathroom. Ali stood sideways in front of the vanity in her pink and white striped pajama pants and white sleep tank, one of the racer back ones that the keeper loved so much. Her hair was still up in the messy bun from when she washed and moisturized her face. God she was beautiful. She was spreading moisturizer on her elbows, feet, knees and hands. Her hands moved quickly, wanting to complete the task so she could join her keeper in bed. Ashlyn watched as she hiked one pant leg up above her knee and then the other, dropping them both down when she was finished moisturizing. Her glasses had slid down towards the tip of her nose because she had bent over and she used the back of one of her hands to push them back up higher. She wiped the excess moisturizer into the back of her hands as she looked up and caught Ashlyn’s eye.

“What?” she asked self-consciously, taking a quick inventory of what Ashlyn could be looking at.

“You’re gorgeous” Ashlyn said and smiled at her bashfully.

Ali relaxed her shoulders and smiled shyly back at her. “Thank you” she said as she shut the bathroom light off and walked towards the bed.

“Does it bother you when I do that? When I watch you?” Ashlyn asked quietly and looked down into her lap.

“No” the brunette answered as she climbed on top of the bed and crawled up to kiss Ashlyn’s lips sweetly. She stayed on her hands and knees in front of her girlfriend and blushed a little. “I like it” she said softly as she kissed the keeper again.

Ashlyn smiled and looked relieved as Ali got under the covers, sitting up against her pillow with her phone in her hand. “I don’t mean to be creepy or anything,” Ashlyn hesitated, wishing she had just left it alone. “I just can’t take my eyes off of you sometimes, well, all the time. God that sounds horrible” she dropped her head and shook it.

“I know what you mean Ash. I like to look at you too. You’re my favorite thing to look at actually.” Ali finished setting the alarm in her phone, set it on her nightstand and looked over at her suddenly shy keeper.

“Really?” Ashlyn asked, surprised and happy.

Ali frowned “Yes really. If you have to ask that then I’m doing a pretty terrible job of telling you how beautiful you are and how hard it is for me not to stare at you all the time.” She reached for Ashlyn’s hand and held it, stroking her forearm with her other hand. “Ashlyn, you take my breath away you’re so beautiful” she waited for a minute to make sure the blonde knew how much she meant it. “I may hide it better than you, but honey, I feel the exact same way.”

It was the keeper’s turn to blush. “You really do, don’t you?” she asked the question like, for the first time, she really believed it.

“I really really do.” Ali lifted Ashlyn’s hand to her lips and kissed it. They shared a long loving look and then snuggled under the covers together. Ali went to curl into Ashlyn’s side like they usually did but the blonde rolled over and pulled Ali to spoon her from behind. The brunette smiled and snuggled in behind her beautiful keeper, letting Ashlyn hold her left arm tight against her own chest.

“Can I tell you that embarrassing thing from the bar tonight?” she asked quietly, once they had settled.

“Yes please. That kiss almost turned me into a puddle.” Ashlyn turned her head and shoulders back towards the brunette. Ali kissed her cheek.

“I’m not proud of this and I still can’t believe it, to be honest with you, but apparently I have a real jealous streak when it comes to you.”

“You do?!” Ashlyn practically squealed with glee as she said it. “Get out. You do not. Do you really?”

Ali cringed and chuckled ruefully, “Yes I really do.”

“What happened? How do you know?” Ashlyn asked, trying to remember any pretty girls who had tried to get her attention at the bar that night.

“I still can’t believe I’m telling you this” Ali started. “You have to promise not to say anything...”

“I promise” Ashlyn reached behind her under the covers and patted Ali’s thigh reassuringly. “Your embarrassing secret is safe with me.”

“I was watching for you at the bar and I finally saw you but you were with Niki, only I didn’t know it was Niki.”

“Ok...” Ashlyn looked confused.

“And I watched you because, as we’ve just discussed, I like to watch you because you’re gorgeous and I love you.”

“You are way better at hiding it than me” Ashlyn agreed with Ali’s earlier statement. “You probably watch me more than I watch you only I’ll never ever know it.” She giggled and moved her hand to pat Ali’s butt.

“So I’m watching you and I see you and Niki and you’re really close together and you have your arms around each other and you’re whispering in each other’s ears...”

“Ewww, you thought Niki was making moves on me?! Gross!” Ashlyn rolled over onto her back and made a disgusted face as she pulled Ali’s leg across her hips. “That’s not right Al.” She shook her head trying to get the distasteful thought out of it. 

“You had your thumb in her pants for God’s sake Ashlyn!” Ali playfully defended herself. “You leaned in and played with her necklace. You spent a lot of time whispering in her ear” she said as she leaned up on her elbow and smacked Ashlyn’s left shoulder.

“That’s why you were just standing there when I saw you” Ashlyn realized, putting the pieces together.

“Molly wasn’t there, it was just the two of you and you were awfully cozy is all I’m saying” Ali chuckled as she spoke. “The point is that I got really jealous, it doesn’t really matter who the other person was.”

Ashlyn turned her head and looked into her girlfriend’s whiskey colored eyes. “You really got jealous?”

Ali blushed and looked down for a minute before meeting the keeper’s eyes and answering. “I got really jealous. And I’m not happy about it. I can’t stand people who are jealous and controlling. I mean, you either trust the person you’re in a relationship with or you don’t.”

“So what does that mean for us?”

“Oh I trust you babe, that’s not why I’m not happy” she leaned forward and kissed the blonde. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said it like that. I trust you Ash.”

“Ok good, I got nervous there for a minute. You know I would never...”

“I know sweetheart” she gave Ashlyn the most reassuring smile she had. “Believe me, after all we went through to get here we’d have to be absolute idiots to even think about messing this up like that. At least that’s how I feel about it anyway.”

“I couldn’t have said it better. I already have the most amazing woman in the world, why the hell would I even think about rocking that boat?”

“I’m just not happy about being jealous. That’s all. I think it’s an unattractive trait. But I’ve got to think about it some more so I can understand what’s going on with me. I’ve never been jealous before so this surprises me.”

Ashlyn leaned up and gave her a long, slow kiss. “I love you” she said as she pulled back.

“You say that now, but just wait until I turn into some hideous shrew of a girlfriend who ...”

Ashlyn kissed her again, deepening it and pulling Ali down onto her chest until they finally broke the kiss. “I love you. And I think it’s sweet that you’re jealous. I’m sorry you don’t like it, but it makes me feel good that you’re possessive of me.” 

Ali lay her head down on the keeper’s shoulder and nuzzled into her neck. They were snuggled up together again under the covers and ready to go to sleep.

“And that’s why you kissed me like that at the bar. You were marking your territory?” Ashlyn asked, still processing the information.

“Yeah, I guess I was” Ali said and placed a kiss to the blonde’s jaw.

“Well I think that’s sexy as hell.”


	11. Uh Oh, Not Again

The Breakers had their longest home stand of the whole season, three games, in early May. It started with the loss to Seattle on April 24th and it was followed on May 1st with a loss to Portland. May 7th was the last of the three games and it was also a loss, to Chicago. The team was 0-4 to start the season and nobody was happy about it. The offense was non-existent and painful to watch. There was a lot of talent on the field but they couldn’t find a way to make it work and score goals. The good news was that the defense seemed to be finding its’ footing and getting stronger. With the exception of the Seattle game, all the other games were 0-1 losses. The defense was doing its’ job for sure and keeping the team competitive in those games as long as possible. The really encouraging thing for the team and fans alike was that the team never quit. They never gave up or gave in. They were always hustling, even in losing efforts. That was something you could build on. A lot of fans had high hopes for the rest of the season based on those two facts alone. The defense was solid and the team never quit. The fans in Boston were knowledgeable. They knew that there would be growing pains with a new coach and a new system. The fans were incredibly patient, supportive and optimistic and the players appreciated it.

Ashlyn continued to play well and get stronger and stronger as her conditioning came back. Her body was feeling good and she loved being able to trust her shoulder again. She wished they played on a grass field though. The older she got and the more times she threw her body around on turf the more she wished for grass. She had almost taken that for granted when she left Washington. The Spirit played and practiced on grass and it was awesome. The downside to that was that the fields where they played and practiced were so far away from Washington DC and many of the suburbs that there wasn’t even public transportation available. Ashlyn had heard a rumor that The Breakers were exploring a deal with Harvard University where they would co-own a grass field in the complex of fields near Harvard Stadium. The field they played their games on was already part of the mostly outdoor complex, but it was turf just like all the others. Apparently some super wealthy family had a daughter who wanted to attend Harvard and play on the women’s soccer team. They were going to donate the funds to change two of the fields to natural grass. Harvard would fund the grounds crew required to properly maintain them. Win-win for everybody. Hopefully.

May was a busy month. Ali’s work got busy again and she dove into it because she knew she had some catching up to do after taking so much time off in January and February. Plus there was the added stress of a whole bunch of new guys. The company decided to invest in a slew of new hires, hoping to capitalize on the housing market that was beginning to bounce back. There were two schools of thought on how to gain more market share. As it pertained to window and door sales, the first option was to hire more sales people who would go out and find new builder customers to sell to or find old builder customers who either didn’t like their sales person or didn’t like the product or whatever. The goal was to get more sales people in front of more customers. The other way to achieve that same goal was to hire support people who could help the existing sales team hit bigger sales numbers. Getting in front of the customers was the easy part, if you were a good sales person. Everything after that was the hard part. You had to prepare the quote, answer follow-up questions, revise the quote, bring samples to the homeowners, answer more questions, revise the quote two more times, negotiate the final number once all the changes had been made based on the revisions and questions. That was all just pre-sale! But that was where the good sales people excelled. Everything after the sale was stuff that a support person could help the sales team with. Being at the delivery or checking on the delivery to make sure everything was ok, monitoring the installation to make sure the builders put the windows in correctly and didn’t void the warranty, arranging for a service technician to go to the jobsite and adjust or tweak or fix something that was damaged or defective, following up on whatever that service had been, the list went on and on. And that post-sale stuff never stopped. Ali still got phone calls every week for a service call for windows that were ten years old! That was the stuff that killed her productivity.

Additionally, the sales managers wanted the experienced sales reps to ride with the new guys and help train them. How completely unfair was that? Ali actually didn’t mind that part too much. She made sure they got done what she needed to get done while they rode together and answered questions as the day went on. She could tell pretty quickly if the new guy would work out or not. If he was smart and capable and asked good questions and seemed to give a damn Ali would help him more. She tried to take one new guy out of every batch they hired under her wing and give him some tips she had learned the hard way. What she got out of the deal was, hopefully, a capable sales rep who didn’t embarrass her company every day, for one. But more importantly, a sales rep who appreciated her help and treated her with courtesy and respect. This new sales rep would work with Ali instead of against her. If he called on a customer that turned out to be one of Ali’s he would call her and let her know. If he found somebody who he thought was a new customer in Ali’s territory he would call her and ask her about them. If Ali knew them and wanted to keep them she would tell the new guy and he would back off. If Ali didn’t know them she would be honest and let the new guy take them. They were all working on straight commission and competing directly against each other. Some of the guys were absolutely horrible. Ali had learned the hard way that she couldn’t reach out and be nice to all of them. They didn’t care about her. They were happy to go to one of her customers and tell them that Ali didn’t work there anymore, just to try and get an opportunity to quote something for them. The first time one of her customers had called and told Ali about that was the last time she was nice to all the new guys. They had to prove themselves worthy in her eyes otherwise she wouldn’t help them. Fuckers.

The other big event for May would be Sydney’s bachelorette weekend that Ali had been planning for two months. They were all going down to Cape Cod for Memorial Day weekend. Ali had found a house right on the beach in Provincetown that they could rent for the long weekend. The debate had been between having a big blow-out party for Sydney, she loved a big party, or a smaller group where they could relax and not have to worry so much about keeping everybody and everything in line. Ali struggled with what to do for almost two weeks. When she was able to rent the house for the weekend that made the decision for her. They would go for the smaller group and they would all spend the weekend together and take care of and celebrate Sydney. 

The Breakers other home game that month had been on May 22nd and it was their first win of the season. They beat Kansas City 1-0 and Whitney fucking Engen scored the game winner on a set piece. It wasn’t her most beautiful header but it did the trick. The team and the fans were ecstatic. By the end of May the Breakers were 1-6 with only three points. They were at the very bottom of the table. But they were still optimistic.

The nicest thing about May for Ali and Ashlyn was the way their friendship grew with Niki and Molly and baby Noah. The Crosses, Molly had taken Niki’s name, visited Ashlyn’s house the very next weekend after they first meet Ali. They brought baby Noah over Saturday afternoon and stayed until after dinner. They both loved the house and praised Ashlyn for being brave enough to try and restore the house as well as for her decorating. As always, Ashlyn had been quick to pass the praise on to Ali. Niki particularly loved the two pictures that Ali had given Ashlyn, the old photograph of the house and the map of Gloucester. The keeper had hung them in the mudroom. She tried them other places, but she decided on the mudroom because it was the first room she saw when she entered the house. In a lot of ways the mudroom was the hub of the house. The map hung over the desk, directly across from the mudroom side entry door. The photograph hung on the wall on the left, between the door into the front living room and the bench and shelf that ran along that left wall.

Ali couldn’t get enough of baby Noah. She held him for hours that first visit. And he took right to her, smiling up at her and making all the adorable baby goo goo sounds. Whitney and Niki sat next to each other on the couch in the front living room with Molly on the other side of Niki. Ali was in the recliner with Noah. Ashlyn stood in the doorway from the mudroom with three beers in her hands, watching her beautiful brunette with an adoring look on her face. Niki nudged Whitney and nodded up at the keeper. Whitney rolled her eyes playfully. She had seen that look before and she knew her best friend was falling more in love with Ali every day.

“So how long have you three known each other?” Ali asked, unaware of the looking and nudging going on. 

Ashlyn got her legs working again and handed out the beers, putting the third one down on the table next to the recliner for Ali.

“Well I met Ash when we both played for St Louis Athletica. What were we?” Niki looked at Ashlyn for help figuring out their ages at the time.

“24 or 25 I think. Young and dumb, that’s for sure” Ashlyn chuckled and shook her head. She leaned down and kissed Ali’s cheek and then took her seat at the end of the couch closest to the recliner.

“We played one season together but that’s all it took. We were hooked” Niki winked at the blonde.

“Oh man Niki saved my ass that year. Whit had done such a good job of raising me in college and even that first year after school when we played in Los Angeles for the Pali Blues. But I was really immature.” Niki and Whitney both laughed and exchanged knowing glances. Molly winked at Ali and giggled.

“I went to Chicago to play the next season for the Red Stars and Ash went to St. Louis and found my replacement” Whitney pretended to cry.

“We’ve been co-parenting ever since” Niki joked.

“Nik had been a pro already for a couple of years and really taught me what that meant” the keeper explained. “We bonded over skateboarding and animal planet and pretty girls.”

“Then, a couple of years later, we played in Germany at the same time, on different teams though. But let’s just say that was a very fun season” Niki chuckled. 

“I’ve heard so many stories Ali and I know it’s not even half of what really went down” Molly said, shaking her head and closing her eyes. “I don’t wanna know, I really just don’t.”

Everybody, including Ali, laughed and Whitney joked, “Yeah, I know too much. The less you know the easier it is to keep loving her. Trust me.”

“She’s not wrong!” Molly agreed, laughing loudly.

Ashlyn and Niki grinned at each other, both women smart enough not to add any more fuel to the fire. Niki tried to change the subject a little bit.

“And I was lucky enough to finally play with Whit in Houston a couple of years ago after the Spirit traded me.”

“Yeah and then she retired and I got traded here. It was short but sweet, right Nik?” Whitney leaned into Niki and grinned.

“Wait, so you two played together for the Spirit too?” Ali asked, getting confused with all the different teams these professional athletes had played for, trying to make a living in women’s soccer.

“Yep, one glorious season” Ashlyn clarified. “It was awesome.”

“What do you do for work now?” Ali asked Niki.

“I’m the new coach for the girls varsity soccer team at a private high school in Cambridge. Starting in August.”

“Wow, congratulations! That’s great” Ali enthused. “My dad and my best friend are both high school coaches. I hear a lot about the long hours as well as how rewarding it can be.”

Molly patted her wife on the thigh. “Yeah, I’m pretty proud of her. She’s gonna do a great job.”

“What about you Molly? If you don’t mind my asking?” Ali didn’t want to pry. She knew going back to work after having a baby was one of the most difficult things a new mother could do.

“I work for a travel and events company focused on LGBT travel. They’ve been great about my maternity leave this year. We’re based in Cambridge but they’re letting me do a lot of work from home until we get settled in.”

“Molly went to Harvard and then, if that wasn’t smarty pants enough for you, she got her MBA from the Sloan school at MIT” Ashlyn bragged so Niki wouldn’t have to.

“Wow that’s amazing” Ali said, her eyes wide.

“How did I not know that about your MBA?” Whitney asked, looking at Molly who smiled and blushed a little bit.

“Yeah, she’s alright. I guess I’ll keep her” Niki teased as she leaned in and kissed Molly sweetly.

//

Later that night, as they snuggled into bed together, Ali and Ashlyn talked about what a great couple Niki and Molly were. The keeper told Ali some of the behind the scenes stories that Niki had told her about their courtship and Ali asked a few more questions about how their romance had blossomed into such a great family. Ashlyn complimented the brunette for how beautiful she had looked with Noah in her arms and Ali told the keeper how much she loved meeting her friends. She loved knowing the other people who understood and appreciated the blonde the way she did. It was comforting and reassuring. 

“So have you thought about having kids?” Ashlyn asked a little awkwardly as she spooned Ali from behind, stroking the brunette’s stomach with her thumb.

They hadn’t discussed kids before. They hadn’t discussed the future in much detail at all, only that they were both in it for the long haul. The decision to have kids was one of the biggest in any relationship. Ali was pretty sure that Ashlyn wanted kids but she was still afraid to answer the question in case this was the one area in which they weren’t in synch.

“Umm...” she paused, terrified that her answer could be the one thing that signaled that they were incompatible in spite of all other evidence to the contrary. But then, as had already happened a couple of times during sex, Ali just decided to take the leap and trust that the blonde would be there to catch her. “Yes. I want kids.”

Ashlyn had felt the brunette hold her breath as she paused and then finally answered the question and it made the keeper love her even more. 

“I do too” she answered quickly, wanting to let Ali off the hook as soon as possible.

Ali grinned and turned her head back to kiss the blonde on the lips. They were both smiling widely.

“Whew! That was nerve-wracking, wasn’t it?” Ashlyn said and exhaled her relief.

Ali giggled and kissed her again. “I was so scared for a minute that maybe you didn’t want them and then I don’t know what I would have done” Ali rolled over to face her keeper. “I can’t wait to have babies with you Ashlyn” she whispered as she brought their lips together again. “Not right this second or anything” she pulled back, alarmed at the thought. “I just mean I can’t wait until we’re at that point, whenever it is.”

The blonde smiled softly and gently kissed Ali’s nose. When Ali closed her eyes, Ashlyn kissed both of her eyelids and her forehead and her chin. Gentle, soft, loving kisses full of tenderness and affection. The keeper loved how they could be absolutely crazy with lust and desire for each other and then, other times, completely sweet and tender. She had never been with someone who brought out such a wide range of her emotions.

“Me too baby” Ashlyn mumbled against the brunette’s lips. “Me too.”

//

“Oh get out of the way you big baby” Niki joked as she hip-checked Ashlyn away from the wall they were painting.

“Hey! You try reaching all the way up there after stopping 12 shots from Christen Press and Julie Johnston” the keeper grumbled. “My shoulders are killing me.” She handed Niki the long roller and took the short one in exchange. 

“Yeah, whatever.” Niki teased her again as Whitney laughed along.

The Breakers had been outplayed badly the night before by the Chicago Red Stars. They lost 0-1 and it would have been a much bigger goal deficit except that Ashlyn had played one of the best games of her career. Everybody was talking about what a tremendous display of goalkeeping she had put on. The new coach had singled her out in his post-match press conference as well. 

It was Ashlyn’s recovery day and she was spending it with Ali, Whitney, Molly and Niki painting the interior walls of the Cross’ new home. The painting was the last thing that needed to be completed before they could move in. Noah was with his grandparents for the day so the women could focus on getting all of the painting finished. The music was pumping and the refrigerator was stocked with beer, soda and water and they had just ordered pizza to be delivered for lunch. The hard-working crew had started at 9am and had made a lot of progress. Ali and Molly were painting one of the bedrooms and bonding over the life of a soccer player’s girlfriend and wife. Niki, Ashlyn and Whitney were almost finished with the big living room and dining room space. 

The conversation had turned to Meg and Ashlyn’s most recent visit in April. It amused all three women that Ashlyn was the one with the most experience living with and raising a child. Niki hadn’t seen Ashlyn with the little girl, but Whitney had witnessed firsthand what a wonderful parent or guardian the keeper had been and was trying to continue to be.

“So when will you see her again?” Niki asked as she pushed her roller through the paint tray to load it up again.

“I’m scheduled to go visit her in DC for a weekend in early August, during the break, but I’d love to bring her up here for the week instead” Ashlyn explained. 

Whitney stopped painting and looked over at her best friend as the keeper continued explaining her dilemma to Niki. None of them saw Ali walk into the hall behind them, on her way to the kitchen for fresh beers.

“But she’s too little and Hannah won’t let her come up by herself yet.”

“Why doesn’t Hannah just bring her up then?” Niki asked. “I don’t get it.”

Whitney took two steps closer to the living room where Ashlyn and Niki were working, eager to hear the keeper’s answer. Out of the corner of her eye, from her new angle, the defender saw Ali stop short as she heard Niki’s question. Ashlyn and Niki were talking again before Whitney could even think about interrupting them.

“That’s not a great idea” Ashlyn started, “Ali’s not a big fan of Hannah and I don’t want there to be a bunch of drama.”

“But it’s your decision isn’t it? What do you think about it?” Niki asked as she continued to roll paint on the wall.

“Well I really want Meg to come and visit and I’d be ok with Hannah for a week if it meant getting to see Meg.”

“There’s your answer then Ash” Niki said and turned to her friend.

Just then Molly came up behind Ali and asked “Hey, what’s the hold up on the beer chica?”

Ashlyn and Niki turned around to see Ali standing in the hall with her fists clenched. Her pretty face was hard as stone and she had tears in the corner of her eyes. 

“Ali...” the keeper breathed out and took a step towards her but the flash of anger in the brunette’s eyes made her stand still again.

Whitney moved into the living room, standing with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face. She completed an arc between Ali and Ashlyn as Niki put the paint roller down and turned the music off. Ali and Ashlyn hadn’t taken their eyes off of each other.

“What is going on in here?” Molly asked, alarmed, as she stood next to Ali.

The brunette’s face was red with emotion and one tear had started to roll down the side of her cheek as she stood there trying to find words to say. Ashlyn’s eyes were pleading and apologetic and sad and angry all at the same time.

Ali swallowed hard, her mouth felt like it was full of cotton. “If you want to have that woman in your house it’s your decision Ashlyn. Just know that I won’t be around for it” Ali spoke in a low, hoarse voice filled with emotion. “I don’t like her and I don’t trust her and I can’t believe you would let that snake back into your life after it took so much for you to get her out of it in the first place.”

Niki and Molly looked at each other and then at Whitney whose face was frowning even harder as she listened to Ali speak.

“But I love you and if it’s important to you then do what you need to do. But I won’t watch it happen.” Ali’s voice broke and her tears started to fall in earnest as she turned and stormed out the front door next to her. She almost knocked over the pizza delivery guy who was climbing the three front steps as she left.

“What the fuck was that?” Niki asked and put her hand on Ashlyn’s shoulder. 

The keeper just dropped her head down and closed her eyes, paint roller still in her hand. The delivery guy stuck his head in the open door looking for someone to pay him for the pizza and Molly went to grab her purse.

“Seriously Ash,” Niki asked again, getting defensive for her friend. “What was all that about? That was pretty uncalled for, to be honest.”

Molly paid the delivery guy, handed the pizzas to Niki with a glare and then went out the front door after Ali. 

“It was completely called for Nik” Whitney spoke up, her voice steady and strong. “You didn’t know Hannah very well...”

“Sure I did” Niki interrupted. “I was the only one of any of us that met her the same time Ash did. Now, what? She’s the devil?” she shook her head as she spoke. “I don’t buy it.”

“Yeah she is.” The defender took a step towards Niki as her anger spiked. “She’s a fucking bitch and the less she has to do with Ash, in my opinion, the better.” She looked at her best friend and said, “We all love Meg and I think it would be great if she came up every summer for vacation just like you did with your grandmother.” Whitney, as always, understanding the keeper better than almost anyone else on the planet. “I can’t think of anything cooler than that, for both of you.” Ashlyn had lifted her head and looked at Whitney as she spoke to her softly. “But Hannah is trouble Ash and you know it. I agree with Ali one hundred percent on this one. I think it’s a mistake. But,” she paused and made sure her best friend knew how serious she was, “I will be right there every second to make sure she doesn’t take advantage of you again.” There was a fire to Whitney’s words that Niki had never seen before and Ashlyn had only seen once or twice. “Honestly, I hope she does try something because I would really love to tell her exactly what I think of her.” She patted Ashlyn on the arm and took the pizzas from Niki and brought them into the kitchen.

Molly came back in the front door and grabbed her purse and Ali’s purse and sweatshirt and turned back towards the front door.

“I’m driving Ali home” she said as she pulled the door closed behind her.

Niki and Ashlyn stood there in silence for a few minutes. Niki took the roller from her friend’s hand and placed it on one of the paint trays at their feet. 

“Was it that bad Ash?” Niki asked softly as she put her arm around the keeper and guided her towards the kitchen.

“Yeah, it was.”


	12. Deeper and Deeper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning

Ali didn’t really want to see Ashlyn but she knew she would have to later that night to get her truck back. Molly had driven her home to her house in Stoneham but her laptop and most of her current work folders were in her truck, which was in Gloucester. Ashlyn had driven them to Niki’s house that morning to paint. Ali’s truck really had been functioning as her office on wheels for the past five months. If she carried a lot of her folders with her in the truck she had the flexibility of sleeping at either Ashlyn’s house or her own without much disruption. The brunette just needed some time to cool down after hearing how willing her keeper was to have Hannah stay with her for a week later that summer. Ashlyn’s words shocked her and made her afraid and anxious, but they didn’t surprise her. Not really. Ali wasn’t afraid for her relationship with the blonde. She trusted Ashlyn more than she had ever trusted anyone in her life. She was afraid for Ashlyn. Ali was worried that Hannah would somehow weasel her way back into the blonde’s life and use Meg to do it. But this time the brunette wouldn’t hold back anything. She would defend and protect her keeper from Hannah no matter what.

And Ali wasn’t surprised that Ashlyn would be willing to sacrifice her own discomfort to do something nice for Meg. That’s who Ashlyn was. That’s what Ali loved about Ashlyn. The idea that she could give Meg the same sort of summer escape that her grandparents had given her when she was a little girl was so quintessentially Ashlyn that Ali was surprised that she hadn’t seen it coming. It made perfect sense. And once Meg was old enough to make the trip by herself Ali would be all for it. Ashlyn wouldn’t be able to find a bigger cheerleader for it than Ali. But that wasn’t where they were at, yet.

Ali called Sydney and the coach drove her up to Gloucester to get her truck. They talked along the way and Sydney had assured Ali that she wasn’t over-reacting. 

Ashlyn received a text from Ali later Sunday afternoon:  
Aliebe: We’re ok. Just need some time to myself.  
Ashlyn: I’m sorry. Can I explain?  
Aliebe: You don’t have to.  
Ashlyn: Can we talk? Can I come over? I’ll bring your truck to you tonight ok?  
Aliebe: Already got it. I’ll come over Tuesday night and we can talk then. Love you.

//

It was quiet as Whitney and Ashlyn drove home from training Tuesday afternoon. The defender knew her friend had plans to talk with Ali that night and was hopeful that everything would get back to normal after they did. Ashlyn had been quiet and moody for the past two days. Whitney wished that Ali had talked with the keeper Sunday night and just gotten the air cleared. But, at the same time, she respected the strength the brunette had displayed to take the time she needed to get herself ready. The defender had talked with her best friend several times about why she thought Ali reacted the way she had. Whitney, she knew, was probably the person who could most closely understand what Ali had felt that Sunday.

“You know it’s going to be ok, right? She told you that you guys were ok on Sunday in her text, right?” Whitney started the conversation up one last time.

“Yeah” Ashlyn replied weakly, keeping her eyes on the highway in front of her.

“Well don’t overthink it too much Ash” Whitney offered, soothingly. “You and I both know she’s just trying to protect you. I’ll bet my life that’s all it is. She’s scared for you.” Whitney let that sink in before continuing. “I’m just as scared and I know how she feels.” She saw the keeper’s hands grip the steering wheel tighter. “It’s not a knock on you. It’s because you’re so kind and good that sometimes people take advantage of you Ash. You know that. It’s happened before and we’ve had this exact same conversation before. Don’t pretend this is news” the defender pushed a little with that last sentence.

Ashlyn relaxed her hands and dropped her shoulders a bit as she answered. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I just don’t want to screw this up Whit. I love her so much. These have been the worst two days of my life...”

“Let’s not get too crazy now” Whitney teased.

Ashlyn chuckled, “Alright, not the worst, but I just can’t get the look on her face out of my head. She looked so mad and so hurt all at the same time. I wanted to both run to her and comfort her and run away as fast as I could.”

“She loves you, you big dope. Of course she had all those emotions. She knows you’ll do anything for Meg and she’s trying to find a way to protect you from Hannah at the same time. That’s complex. I struggle with the same thing and I’m not even sleeping with you” the defender laughed softly. “Knowing Ali, she probably needed some time to figure out exactly what she’ll be ok with and what she won’t be ok with. And I’m proud of you for giving her the time she asked for Ash. That’s a big deal for you.”

A younger, less mature Ashlyn would have gone to Ali’s doorstep and pounded on the door until she opened it, ignoring the brunette’s request.

“Yeah, you’re right Whit. I didn’t think about it like that. I trust her enough that I waited until she was ready. Maybe I don’t suck at this after all” the keeper replied excitedly.

“There you go” Whitney smiled at her best friend, relieved to see it returned. “You got this Ash. Just be honest with her, try to listen and remember that she loves you and wants what’s best for you” the defender said as they pulled into the driveway of the big old house. Ashlyn’s face lit up when she saw Ali get out of her truck.

“Hey Ali” Whitney said and smiled as she got out of the jeep.

“Hi Whit” Ali replied with her own smile as the defender hurried into the house to give the couple some privacy.

“Hi” the keeper said quietly, holding her training bag with both hands in front of her as she stood by the door of her jeep. She smiled when she met Ali’s eyes but then looked down nervously as the brunette walked towards her.

“Hi babe” Ali replied, leaned forward and kissed her lips softly, then stood in front of her.

“Umm, you’re early, aren’t you?” Ashlyn asked tentatively. She loved that Ali was there and that simple kiss had just coursed through her veins like heroin, but she was worried that something had happened to cause Ali to change their plans.

It was Ali’s turn to look down and blush a tiny bit before she answered. “Yeah, I’m early. I can go and come back...” she motioned back towards her truck.

“No!” Ashlyn said, louder than she meant to, unable to hide her disappointment at that idea. They both giggled.

“I just really missed you and couldn’t wait any more to see you. I hope it’s ok” Ali explained innocently, with a bashful smile. 

The blonde’s face lit up and her dimple appeared. “Really?” she asked, reaching for Ali’s hand.

“Yeah, really.” Ali took the keeper’s hand and they walked into the house together.

As soon as Ashlyn showered and changed they clasped hands again and walked down to the beach at the end of Beach Rd. It was a beautiful late afternoon, warm in the sun but they knew it would be cold once the sun set. They walked along the beach for a little while, not saying anything, until they came to a spot where the dark rocks levelled off a bit. There was a huge rock that you could climb up to if you stood on the levelled off rocks and were brave. Chris and Ashlyn had found this spot twenty years ago and it was still the blonde’s favorite thinking spot in Gloucester. She jumped up and grabbed the top of the big rock with both hands and swung her feet onto two different ledges. She climbed the face of the big rock with her feet and pulled herself up to the top. Ashlyn looked back down over the edge at Ali who was staring with her mouth open.

“Are you kidding me Ash?”

“You can do it. I did it when I was ten years old and a string bean. You can do it.” 

Ashlyn lay on her stomach and hung both of her arms down so Ali could grab onto them instead of the top of the big rock. That had been what had frightened the blonde the most when she first learned how to climb up. Not knowing what was on top of that big rock, not being able to see up there to know what you would grab onto. And, as usual, she had anticipated the brunette’s reservations before Ali even fully recognized them herself. With an encouraging wink from the keeper and a deep breath Ali jumped up and grabbed Ashlyn’s forearms while her feet found one of the ledges. After a few minutes of working the ledges with her feet Ali had joined her keeper on top of the big rock. The surface was mostly flat with some big cracks and crevices, with lots of sand and sea grass clumps in them. The view was spectacular. They sat side by side, legs and shoulders touching, holding hands as they looked over the ocean to the east. 

“This is one of my favorite sunrise places in the whole world” Ashlyn said quietly. “I’ve never brought anybody here before.” She turned her head and looked at the brunette’s awe-struck face taking in the view. “Do you like it?”

“Oh Ashlyn, I love it. And I love you” Ali said emotionally as she turned her torso sideways to hug the blonde. “I love you so much, so so much.”

The rock was chilly and Ashlyn knew it was only going to get colder. Early May in New England was never really warm. Ashlyn broke the hug and gave Ali a deep kiss, holding her hands between their bodies.

“I love you too baby. Thank you for coming over to talk with me. I’m so sorry I upset you. I hate that I do that. Can you forgive me?” Ashlyn asked sincerely as she looked into Ali’s darker than usual chocolate eyes.

“Of course I forgive you...”

“Let me try and do this, ok?” Ashlyn interrupted and squeezed her girlfriend’s hands. Ali nodded with a small smile on her face.

“First of all, I wasn’t keeping that from you, the idea of Meg coming up to visit in August. We just hadn’t talked about it yet. Niki asked me what my plans were with Meg for the summer and that’s how it came up. I hadn’t talked to anybody about it yet.” She paused and was encouraged by Ali squeezing her hands back.

“Second of all, just so you know, Niki didn’t know half of the shit that went down with Hannah.” She looked down for a minute, embarrassed. “I didn’t tell her because it was too awful and I figured she wasn’t around to see it so why bother. That has nothing to do with you and me, but just so you know why Niki didn’t seem to have a problem with Hannah coming here. That’s why.”

“Ok, that’s good to know because my opinion of her definitely went down when I heard her say that” Ali nodded her head as she spoke.

“Well Whitney almost took her head off after you left so you weren’t alone” Ashlyn chuckled and rolled her eyes knowingly at the brunette.

“Really?!” Ali asked and raised her eyebrows.

“Absolutely” the keeper nodded emphatically. “We were lucky there was pizza there to calm everybody down because it was getting ugly.” They both laughed and were relieved that they could honestly find humor in that situation.

“I haven’t talked to Hannah about it. I wanted to talk with you first” Ashlyn looked into Ali’s eyes as she said those words, knowing they were important to her brunette. The look of relief and happiness that she saw there was, perhaps, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

“And we can talk about it now if you want, or we can talk about it some other time. Whatever you want to do Al. But I think I understand why you’re upset and concerned and skeptical.”

“You do?” Ali asked, a little surprised. She had fully expected to have to spell it all out for the blonde. Not because Ashlyn wasn’t smart, but because she didn’t always understand how vulnerable she was to certain types of people.

“Yeah” the keeper continued. “You’re afraid I’ll get hurt or taken advantage of. You know I’d do anything for Meg and not really care what else had to happen to get her up here.” She paused and pulled Ali closer as it got chillier up on the big rock. “How am I doing so far?” she asked, honestly wanting to know if she was on the right track.

“So far so good” Ali smiled up at her as they hugged for warmth.

Ashlyn resisted the urge to pump her fist in celebration and excitement and settled for a big lopsided grin instead.

“I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that Hannah will never take advantage of me again. I make more than my fair share of mistakes, but I always learn from them. Gram taught me that. She always said there was no shame in making a mistake as long as you took something from it and grew from it.” She swallowed hard, surprised by her own emotions as she spoke. “I know Meg is my kryptonite” her voice hitched, “and I have to be very careful with Hannah. But I can do it Ali. I know I can do it with you by my side. You make me so much better. And,” she stopped for a minute to try and keep her composure, “you make me want to be better, for you. You deserve somebody wonderful and amazing and strong and true...”

Ali cut her off with a passionate kiss. Their lips were cold but heated up quickly as they moved against each other. When they finally needed to breathe Ali pulled back and spoke, her voice shaking with emotion.

“Ashlyn don’t you know that you are all of those things already? You are everything I’ve ever dreamed of. You’re more than I could possibly have dreamed of.” She kissed her again. “I’m the one who needs to do better babe. I’m the one who needs to get better at telling you how wonderful you are. I promise I’ll do better honey, I promise.” They kissed again and Ashlyn felt Ali’s tears on their lips.

“Oh, don’t cry baby” Ashlyn cooed as she held the brunette close. They stayed like that for several minutes and then the keeper continued.

“But there’s something else I need to say. Are you with me Al?” she asked before going on.

“Yes love.”

“My decision on this, hell, all my decisions really, they’re not just about me anymore. They’re about us and I swear I get that. It doesn’t matter if I don’t have a problem with Hannah coming up this summer. It doesn’t matter that I know I can handle it. If you have a problem with it or if you can’t handle it, or don’t want to handle it, then it’s a problem. Period.” She kissed the side of Ali’s head and held her lips there for a minute as the brunette hugged her tight. “I’m not just saying that because I think you want to hear it Ali. I really mean it. It’s an adjustment for me and I’ll still mess it up sometimes but I get it and I want it and it’s important to me” she finished her speech earnestly. She had practiced parts of it for a day and a half, other parts she had just ad-libbed. She exhaled, relieved that she had said everything she wanted to say to the woman she loved.

“Are you finished?” Ali asked as she looked up and kissed her chin.

Ashlyn met her eyes and nodded her head, suddenly terrified she had grossly missed the mark somewhere.

“Thank you babe.” Ali spoke slowly and carefully, pausing between thoughts. Her words were weighted with love and gratitude and hope. “I love you. You make me ridiculously happy and I never feel like I deserve you. We’ll figure out what to do about Meg’s visit together.” She pressed a long, loving kiss to her keeper’s lips and smiled up at her afterwards. “But right now let me take you out to dinner. If we hurry we can catch the sunset over at the Lobster Pool.”

//

The next night, Wednesday, Ali took Ashlyn out on a date. She picked the blonde up and drove them back to her house where an Uber was waiting to take them into Boston to a new barbecue restaurant that had opened up to rave reviews. Ali was usually very conscious of the keeper’s training diet but not that night. They were going to splurge and enjoy themselves before Ashlyn and the team flew to New York the next day for their match against Sky Blue FC on Friday night. 

“Ahhh, you’re killing me Al. I can’t eat any of this” Ashlyn whined as she looked over the menu.

“Oh, you can eat anything you want on there babe. I’m going to work it off of you later tonight” Ali flirted back with a wicked grin. She bit her bottom lip and winked seductively across the table.

After dinner, where Ashlyn did indeed splurge, they went to one of the few lesbian clubs in the city and danced for a couple of hours. The keeper had watched Ali dance all last summer and fall at the Breakers’ team parties and post-game get-togethers. She had been envious watching her dance with Sarah, wanting to be the one with her hands on the brunette’s hips as she moved them with the music. One time when they were all out together Sydney had initiated a twerking contest and Ashlyn had had to go home and take a cold shower after watching what the beautiful brunette could do with her ass. Finally, at long last, Ashlyn was on the dance floor with her hands on Ali’s hips and her lips on Ali’s neck as they moved together in the mass of sweaty bodies. They were both drunk, but not so much so that they had lost control. They were just at the spot where their strong buzz had turned into a good, blissful drunk feeling. Ali’s short, black sleeveless dress moved with her and the ruffled edge of the mid-thigh hem rose as she spun around. Her hair was up in a high pony-tail that twirled with her as she danced, her neck exposed and inviting. Ashlyn wore white skinny jeans, with a crisp charcoal grey short-sleeved shirt buttoned all the way up. The shirt was untucked and snug fitting, the sleeves folded up further emphasizing her beautiful biceps. Her long hair and soft curls were topped by a light grey fedora, perched back on her head. They danced together and both felt the electric current that had run between them all night long reaching a dangerous level. Ashlyn began to take control of their movements, roughly turning the brunette around and keeping one hand low on her stomach, holding them tightly together, pinky finger stretched out dangerously low. Ali shuddered as she felt the keeper’s other hand start up at the top of her extended arm and run her fingertips all the way down the brunette’s arm, side, hip and thigh. Ali squeezed the back of Ashlyn’s neck with that extended arm and rested her head back against the blonde’s shoulder. The brunette’s other hand reached behind her to find Ashlyn’s ass and gave it a squeeze too. Ashlyn kissed her neck, licking and nipping, and pulled her dress up a little with her hand that was still on her thigh. She moved her mouth to Ali’s ear and pressed her fingertips into her thigh.

“I can’t wait to get home and fuck you so hard you forget your name” the keeper said hotly into her ear, sucking on the lobe.

Ali gasped and whimpered, overwhelmed with desire. She squirmed against her sexy keeper, suddenly aware of everyplace their bodies touched. She turned her head towards Ashlyn’s mouth and waited for the blonde to bring her lips down and kiss her. She didn’t have to wait long. They moaned into each other’s mouths as their tongues danced along with them. After a few minutes the keeper broke the kiss and Ali spoke very clearly.

“Let’s go.”

It took every ounce of control they had to not have sex in the back of the cab on the way to Ali’s house. Luckily it was a Wednesday night and traffic wasn’t very bad. Ali unlocked her front door with Ashlyn pressed up against her from behind, panting into her ear and trying to pull her dress up and get her hand where she really wanted it.

“Babe, wait” Ali managed to get out as she slipped dangerously close to letting the keeper finger her on her own front door step. “Just one more minute, please.”

Finally, the door opened and they stumbled into the house. Ali turned around in Ashlyn’s arms and crashed their lips together as she shut the door behind them and threw the deadbolt. She dropped her purse and keys on the chair next to the door and turned the light switch on, all without breaking the kiss.

“Oh my God I need you right fucking now” Ali husked out desperately.

The keeper looked at her hungrily, her eyes already dark with need. Ali unbuttoned her shirt for her and Ashlyn dropped her arms and let it fall to the floor behind her. The brunette leaned forward and kissed the cleavage at the top of her bra, licking between breasts as her hands worked on the blonde’s belt and pants. 

“Mmmmmmm” Ali hummed. “So fucking beautiful.”

When she felt the brunette lower her jeans and boxers past her hips Ashlyn reached behind Ali’s head and untied the pony tail, loosening her long brown hair until it fell softly around her shoulders. As the brunette unfastened the keeper’s bra and nipped at her breasts Ashlyn grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head back up, more harshly than usual.

“Unnhh” Ali groaned as she felt her own passion pooling between her legs. She let the blonde’s jeans drop to the floor and reached up to pull her own dress up and over her head. She wore no bra and was now naked except for her black lace panties, her nipples already starting to stiffen.

Ashlyn took in the beautiful sight and pressed their bodies together again. She kissed her passionately as her hands travelled up and down Ali’s naked torso, nails dragging across her back and scratching at her ass. Ali plunged her tongue into the keeper’s mouth, kissing her back hard. She pulled Ashlyn’s bra down to her elbows and tugged on it to get the blonde to release her arms, one at a time, so it would fall to the floor too. Ashlyn stepped out of her shoes while she kissed down the brunette’s neck, biting hard at her pulse point. Ali hissed in pain and pleasure. The keeper paused for a split second and then kissed up the other side of her neck, walking the brunette backwards towards the couch at the same time.

Ali caught the back of her heel on the coffee table and started to fall backwards.

“Shit!” she yelped and put her arms out behind her to break her fall.

Ashlyn wordlessly guided her down onto the couch then knelt on the floor in between her legs. She looked at Ali through lidded eyes, hazy with lust, and licked her lips. She could not believe how beautiful the brunette was. Or that she was the one who was allowed to touch her like this. She was fucking perfect. 

Ali returned the heated gaze and reached for the blonde’s breasts again, rolling and pinching her nipples. Ashlyn moved her hands around to Ali’s ass and pulled her forward to the edge of the couch, bringing their lips together again in another heated kiss. She grabbed the sides of the black lace panties and, when the brunette used her hands to lift herself up, pulled them down Ali’s gorgeous, muscled legs. They broke the kiss, both gasping for air, chests heaving, staring at each other. 

This was new territory for them. Ali had never seen Ashlyn so worked up and aggressive. The keeper had always been so tender and careful with her before now. This Ashlyn tonight was forceful and almost animalistic. She hadn’t said a single word since they started kissing at the house. Ali knew the blonde wouldn’t hurt her, but she wondered what had made tonight so different. All she knew was that she was wet as fuck and ready for more.

“God you’re sexy” Ali husked out, biting her bottom lip.

Ashlyn put her hands on Ali’s knees and unceremoniously pushed her legs apart, watching her small breasts bounce from the force.

“Ohhhh” Ali purred, incredibly turned on.

The keeper leaned in and took a nipple in her mouth, sucking hard. She flicked her tongue across it several times and then released it with a pop.

“Mmmmmmm, yes...” Ali put one hand on Ashlyn’s hip and the other behind her head, holding her to her breast.

The blonde took the other nipple in her mouth and twirled her tongue around it before grazing it with her teeth. She brought her hand to the other breast and started massaging it and rubbing the nipple with her palm. She licked the nipple in her mouth and then blew on it lightly. Ali closed her eyes and put her head back a little, enjoying the work Ashlyn was doing. Without any warning, the keeper shoved two fingers deep into the brunette’s core and started thrusting hard and fast.

“Jesus” Ali gasped. “Fuck!” she yelled out in pleasure.

Ashlyn, still kneeling on the floor, wrapped her other arm around Ali’s lower back, holding her tightly in place while she pounded into her. The heel of her palm hit the brunette’s clit with every deep hard thrust, sending jolts of pleasure up and down her spine. She took a bouncing breast in her mouth again and sucked hard on the nipple. 

“Holy shit” Ali panted, bracing herself with one arm against the back of the couch and the other gripping the front edge of the couch.

A bead of sweat rolled down between Ashlyn’s breasts which were swaying under her efforts. She moved her mouth to Ali’s other breast and sucked hard on it too before nipping and sucking the soft skin on the underside. There would be a hickey there for sure.

Ali felt the beginnings of an orgasm as her center pulsed and grabbed at the keeper’s fingers. She had broken out into a light sweat and her whole body glistened as it shook from Ashlyn’s rough thrusts. She moved her hand to try and rub her own clit but the blonde pushed it away. 

“Fuck. Ash. I need...”

Before she could say another word, the keeper brought her other hand to Ali’s needy clit and began circling it slowly, making sure it was wet enough. She sucked a nipple into her mouth again, and then rubbed her clit with her finger.

“Oh my god.” Ali closed her eyes and panted for breath, sweating. “Yes. Yesssss. Oh you fuck me so good.”

Ashlyn continued to lick and suck her breasts while her hands brought the brunette closer and closer to release. When she felt the walls of Ali’s pussy tightening around her fingers she added a third finger and pumped even harder. She started rubbing the brunette’s clit as fast as she could.

Ali forced herself to open her eyes and watch what the keeper was doing to her. Everything was moving and bouncing and the sound of wet skin slapping against wet skin was intoxicating.

Ashlyn’s arms were burning and, with the last bit of strength she had, she bit down hard on the side of Ali’s breast sending the brunette into ecstasy.

Every part of her shook and convulsed as the orgasm crashed over her. She finally slumped against the back of the couch, trying to catch her breath.

Ashlyn leaned against the couch and slid to the floor, exhausted. She rested her head on the outside of the brunette’s thigh, kissing it softly.

Ali reached down and stroked Ashlyn’s head, gently moving her hair away from her sweaty neck and playing with it. Neither woman said anything for a few minutes. Finally the keeper sat up, gently rubbed her hand over the brunette’s thighs and looked up at Ali with a bashful smile.

“Are you ok?” Ashlyn asked and when Ali didn’t answer her right away she added “Was that too much? Did I hurt you?”

Ali heard the concern in her voice and finally mustered the strength and coordination to speak after the powerful orgasm.

“I’m so good babe. So, so good” she answered, still catching her breath. She pulled the blonde up onto the couch with her, cradling her in her arms across her lap. Ali leaned down and kissed her slowly and deeply, exploring every bit of her mouth with her tongue and moaning into it.

After Ali had recovered and given her keeper two orgasms they managed to climb the stairs and get into Ali’s bed. They were both exhausted from the stress of the disagreement that began their week, the long night of dancing and the vigorous sex they had had earlier. The brunette thought they would just curl up and go to sleep but Ashlyn wanted to even the score and give Ali one more trip over the rainbow. As rough as she had been the first time, she was just as gentle the second time. Her touches were still electric and brought the brunette incredible pleasure but the pacing and emphasis was different. Both orgasms were amazing but the road to get her there had been completely opposite.

As Ashlyn held the brunette’s back against her front, sitting up against Ali’s headboard, she slowly moved her fingers over her pussy lips as Ali came down from the intense orgasm. The blonde felt Ali’s breathing starting to come back to normal as her heartrate slowed down and her legs stopped twitching. She kissed her neck and shoulder lightly and was alarmed when she felt the brunette start to cry in her arms. Her head was back against Ashlyn’s shoulder and the blonde looked at her face, worried that she had hurt her or upset her. But Ali’s face, even as she cried and the tears fell down her cheeks, was almost serene. Her eyes were closed and she looked peaceful and kind of happy. Her mouth was in a smile that was made weird by the crying. Her shoulders shook as the crying wracked her body.

“Ali, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Ashlyn asked and kissed her cheek. She brought both hands up and wrapped them around Ali, squeezing very gently.

The brunette kept crying but put her arms on top of Ashlyn’s and held them tightly. “Nothing” she breathed out after another few minutes. “They’re good tears. I swear.”

Ashlyn was still confused but happy to hear that nothing was wrong. She had heard of people crying during or after sex before but she had never had it happen to her, or to anyone else she was with. What was it with Ali and these rare happenings? First it was the horny sick Ali and now it was the cry after sex Ali. She held the brunette close and softly kissed her neck and shoulders and cheek again. There were so many layers to the woman she loved. Sometimes Ashlyn felt as if she didn’t know her at all. The keeper didn’t say anything, she just let Ali cry and held her.

“I’m sorry Ash, that probably freaked you out” Ali finally said when she had stopped crying. She turned her head to the blonde and kissed her lips softly.

“I was just worried, that’s all. But once you said you were fine I was fine” the keeper answered as she reached for the covers and pulled them up over the brunette. “I’ve heard of people crying during or after sex but never actually seen it happen.”

Ali chuckled, “Well it’s never happened to me before either. This was a first. But I’ve come to expect a lot of firsts with you.” 

The brunette moved from between Ashlyn’s legs to her side so she could snuggle up against her. She kissed her lips again before nuzzling into her neck.

“That felt amazing and I think the tears were just a stress release. Pure and simple body reaction to the awesome orgasm you gave me” Ali explained what she had been able to figure out from the experience. “I promise I was completely blissed out. Nothing but happy feelings and thoughts going on.” She sighed and snuggled in closer to the keeper. “I honestly don’t know babe. But I promise it was all good.”

“I believe you” Ashlyn kissed the top of her head and held her body to her tightly. “I love you so much Ali. I’m glad you felt safe enough with me for that to happen. Who knows? Maybe you’ll cry every time? You just do whatever you need to do baby. I’ve got you, no matter what.”

“Thank you honey.”

Ashlyn adjusted the pillows and lowered herself down into the bed more, Ali moving along with her, as they got ready to go to sleep.

“And people think I’m the sensitive one...” Ashlyn teased softly.

Ali pinched her nipple as she smiled against her neck.

“Ow!” the blonde yelped and chuckled.

“Seem pretty sensitive to me” Ali quipped and kissed her neck.


	13. Bachelorette Party Part 1

In the blink of an eye it was Memorial Day weekend and Sydney’s bachelorette party was upon them. Ali had rented a big house right on the beach in Provincetown, at the very tip of Cape Cod. Provincetown was well-known as a gay and lesbian mecca on the East coast, which was not why Ali had chosen it. Provincetown was also a great place to party with lots of great restaurants and shops and clubs and beaches. It was also a world-renowned artist community with one of the oldest artist colonies in the country. Provincetown was eclectic and magical and insanely touristy. It was almost like entering the Twilight Zone because the gays outnumbered the straights for once and were the controlling majority. For a very long time it was the only place gay and lesbian couples could walk down the street holding hands without anyone skipping a beat. And, Ali remembered with a mixture of joy and sadness, it was the only place that Emily had ever let her hold her hand in public. 

The house rental went from Saturday at 9am until Monday at noon. It was one of the busiest weekends on the Cape and Ali had done well to land such a great house on the beach that was still close enough to the main drag that they could bike there quickly or take their time and walk. There was only one parking space at the house so everybody besides Sydney would have to park up in the municipal lot after they dropped off their stuff. The plan was for Ali to get down there early Saturday morning, meet the owner and get the key and the instructions. Liz and Erica, Ali and Sydney’s closest friends growing up, would pick Sydney up and drive her down, hoping to arrive around noontime. Carm and Jessie, Sydney’s best friends from BU who also became Ali’s good friends, were driving down together. Sydney’s two friends from work, Abby and Alex, were driving down together. And the Breakers girls, Kristie, Whitney and Ashlyn, were driving down together probably not getting there much before dinner time.

The Breakers had an away game Friday night. They lost 0-4 against the Western New York Flash and it had been an ugly game. The team had a week off and weren’t due back for training until Monday June 6th. The team flew home late Friday night, eager for a break. Their plane landed at 2am Saturday morning. Ashlyn had told Ali just to sleep and she and Whitney would have the team get them home. The brunette, for once, agreed not to pick her keeper up at the airport. She didn’t like it, but she agreed it was for the best that one time.

Ali had her truck all loaded and ready to go Friday night so that she could just wake up and hit the road at 6:30am. It was a two and a half hour drive from Stoneham to Provincetown but that was without traffic. “Cape traffic” was notorious during the summer months. Drivers could sit in bumper to bumper traffic for hours waiting to get across the Sagamore Bridge, or the Bourne Bridge if you were coming from a more westerly direction, to start the final leg of the journey out to the tip of the Cape. Those were the only two bridges that crossed the Cape Cod canal. Ali hoped she was leaving early enough to avoid some of that traffic but she knew she was cutting it close. Maybe she would leave at 6am instead just to be safe.

The brunette got the shock of her life Saturday morning at 5:45 as she sat at her dining room table drinking a cup of coffee. As the fog lifted from her tired eyes and brain she realized that Ashlyn’s jeep was parked in her driveway. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the keeper, Whitney and Kristie asleep inside. She went outside and woke them in case anyone needed to use the bathroom before they got on the road. 

“What are you doing here? I’m so glad to see you” Ali hugged the blonde and kissed her sleepy mouth. They both wore their glasses and looked like they had just woken up, in sweats with messy buns on top of their heads. 

“Well, by the time we got off the plane it was 2am and we just decided we’d rather sleep down there at the beach instead of up here in our beds. Whit and I got to my house at about 3am and just packed our bags and got in the jeep. We picked up Kristie and got back to your house at about 5am and didn’t want to wake you up so we just crashed in the jeep” she paused, yawned and stretched. “Ta-da!” she teased hoarsely.

“I love you so much Ash” Ali gave her one more big hug and then kissed her quickly on the lips. “Now go pee while I load your stuff in the truck.”

It took just over 90 minutes to get to the bridge, traffic was heavy but moving pretty well. Ali was convinced the extra half hour had made the difference. Everyone else was fast asleep so there was nobody to argue with her and she took the easy win. From Sagamore to Provincetown was another 75 minutes and they pulled into the driveway of the rental house at 8:55am. Ali rolled the windows down halfway and turned her truck off as they waited for the owner to show up and give her the keys and the walkthrough. It was still cool but the incredible smell of the ocean made her feel alive and invigorated. She looked over at her beautiful sleeping girlfriend, blonde head lying against a rolled up sweatshirt against the side of the truck. Ali couldn’t believe how lucky she was.

The house had four small bedrooms, either with a full size bid or two twin beds, and one master suite. There was a half bathroom on the first floor and a full bathroom on the second floor, in addition to the master bath in the master suite. Ali helped Whitney and Kristie get their bags into one of the rooms with the twin beds and they went right back to sleep before Ali could even make their beds for them. The brunette left the clean sheets in the room for them for later. She went into the room on the ocean side of the house with the full size bed that she had chosen for Ashlyn and herself and was surprised to find her keeper making the bed up for them. She had opened the windows to get some fresh air in the room and they could hear the ocean and the gulls. Ali smiled brightly and hugged the blonde tightly, whispering in her ear.

“If I didn’t have to get this whole house cleaned and set up I’d take you right this minute and have you crying out my name.” She kissed Ashlyn’s cheek and started to pull away but the keeper held her close.

“Let’s just see how fast we can get it all done ok? Make it a competition, that always brings out your best” Ashlyn teased.

Ali chuckled and said “I like the way you think babe but I want you to get some sleep. I’m so glad you’re here but you need your rest for later. These girls get crazy.” She giggled, kissed the keeper one last time and walked to the door. “Don’t worry, I’ll still have my way with you at the end of the night.” She winked and was gone. Ashlyn heard her go downstairs to start cleaning the common areas. The house was supposed to be clean, but everybody knew you had to clean the rental before you really felt comfortable there. It was just one of those understood rules. The blonde went to the two other bedrooms and the master suite and opened the windows and made up the beds. She tried for fifteen minutes to get the full size sheets to work in the master bedroom before it occurred to her that the master bedroom had a queen size bed in it. Maybe she did need a nap.

By noontime the house was cleaned and ready for the guests to arrive. Whitney and Kristie had gotten up and helped after about an hour of stationary sleep, the first they’d had all night. Ali thanked them for being angels and sent them up to shower and change while she and Ashlyn did one final sweep of the back deck. Liz and Erica had texted to let them know that traffic was backed up at the bridge and they would probably arrive closer to 1pm or 1:30pm. Carm and Jessie sounded like they were on the same schedule. And she hadn’t heard from Abby and Alex yet.

Everybody finally arrived and all the tedious things got done, like shopping to stock the fridge and the beverage coolers on the deck, schlepping all the cars up to the municipal lot, going to the package store to buy the alcohol and beer they planned to enjoy during their visit. They hung out that afternoon as each carload arrived, Abby and Alex finally pulling in at around 4pm. The group of eleven women drank and snacked and danced and sang and, in general, goofed around until it was time to walk down the beach to the restaurant where Ali had made their dinner reservations. It was a good group of ladies. There were just enough good girls, Whitney and Liz and Alex, to balance out the rowdy girls, Carm and Jessie and Sydney. With the rest of the group falling somewhere in the middle. 

When they got back to the beach house after dinner, stumbling along the beach in the cool evening air, they cranked up the tunes and started doing shots and dancing again. The doorbell rang and Ali asked Sydney to answer it. Sydney, of course, balked at the request because she was pleasantly drunk and comfy in the living room chair. Ashlyn stood up to answer the door and Ali shook her head at her.

“Jesus Christ Leroux. Get off your ass and get the fucking door!!” the brunette bellowed at her best friend. Several of the girls were surprised by how feisty Ali was while others just laughed, knowingly.

“Alright alright. Don’t get your panties in a wad Kriegy.” Sydney stood up and moved towards the front door. “For fuck’s sake.”

The coach was shocked to find a police officer standing on the other side of the door and she felt herself start to sober up a little.

“Are you Sydney Rae Leroux” he asked in an authoritative voice as he stepped through the door and closed it behind him.

“Y-yes sir” Sydney stammered as she took a step back in the small entry foyer to make room for him.

He kept moving closer to her until she backed up into the wall separating the front hall from the living room.

“I hear you’ve been a baaaad girl” he said seductively as he pressed his body up against hers.

The other girls had come to the edge of the living room to watch and as soon as Ali heard her cue she hit play on the pre-arranged playlist and laughed out loud. As soon as Sydney heard Ali’s laugh and the sexy jam blasting through the speakers she slowly realized that the cop was a stripper. She threw her head back and cackled as he started dancing and grinding on her. He escorted her back to her seat in the living room and spent the next hour dancing for and with the group.

“Kyle sends his nastiest regards to the Queen and her bitches!” the stripper announced once Sydney was back in her throne.

Ashlyn had stuffed a wad of $1 bills in Sydney’s hand as soon as she sat down and Carm had brought her a fresh drink. Whitney had volunteered to be the videographer, happy to watch from the sidelines as the cop stripped down to a skimpy red white and blue g-string that left nothing to the imagination.

After the stripper left Ashlyn had pulled Ali aside and told her to go ahead and just let loose. She knew how much time the brunette had spent making this weekend a reality and she wanted the brunette to enjoy her best friend’s bachelorette party and get drunk off her ass with Sydney if she wanted to. The keeper told her that she would be the grown up for the rest of the night and make sure nobody got hurt or arrested.

The rest of the night had been epic, complete with a mass skinny-dipping excursion into the cold May Atlantic Ocean. Whitney videoed from the deck, a discreet distance, while Ashlyn hung back on the shore just in case there was any trouble. Of course, she couldn’t help but cause a little trouble of her own. While they were all out splashing around and screaming about how cold the water was, Ashlyn quickly gathered up all of their clothes and dropped them onto the sand in the darkness at the edge of the deck. If you didn’t know they were there you would never see them until the sun came up. When they started to come out of the water she retreated up onto the deck with Whitney, both of them giggling like five year olds. 

“Ashlyn Michelle Harris!!” Ali yelled, figuring it out instantly, despite being very very drunk.

The cold, naked women ran up the stairs to the deck and skidded into the house, squealing and screaming and laughing hysterically.

“I wonder if there’s an x-rated version of America’s Funniest Home Videos” Whitney asked as she laughed again.

//

The next morning came too early for most of the group. Whitney woke up early, smiled, and went back to sleep, still trying to catch up from the night before. Ashlyn sat up in bed with her sketch pad in her hands. She was trying to take advantage of the morning light coming through the window and hitting Ali’s sleeping form just right. The blonde didn’t think she would ever get over how gorgeous Ali Krieger was. She finished her drawing, fought the powerful urge to wake the brunette up with her fingers and tongue, deciding instead to shower, get dressed and go downstairs to make breakfast for the group.

By the time Ali opened her eyes it was almost 11am. Her head was pounding and her mouth was disgustingly dry. She lay on her stomach and squinted up at the nightstand, confused about where she was. The sound of the ocean came through the open window and she remembered, with a groan, the night before. It had been a ton of fun but she had definitely overdone it and would probably have a killer hangover for most of the day. She heard the bedroom door open and someone walking towards her side of the bed. The brunette recognized Ashlyn’s scent, she thought, although Ashlyn smelled like the beach and they were at the beach so maybe it wasn’t her after all. She decided to take her chances and pretended to be asleep. When the blonde was right next to her Ali grabbed her leg and growled to scare her, hoping for a little bit of payback for the stolen clothes from the night before. Two seconds after she grabbed and growled she heard Ashlyn scream and then felt cold water hit her face and shoulder.

“Fuck!” Ashlyn yelled at the same time that Ali screamed from the water hitting her.

“What the hell Ashlyn?!” Ali said angrily as she instinctively sat up to get away from the water.

“Me? How about what the hell Ali?” Ashlyn replied and then started to laugh when she realized what had happened. Her laughter increased as she looked at the pissed off and shocked look on the brunette’s drenched face.

“It’s not funny” Ali said, starting to chuckle herself as she put her glasses on and saw that Ashlyn had been bringing her a glass of water and some ibuprofen when she grabbed her. Even though Ali had gotten the raw end of the deal it was still pretty funny. She started to laugh with her keeper as she wiped the water off of her face and shoulder.

“I’m so sorry baby” Ashlyn tried to talk and stop laughing. She grabbed a shirt from the floor at the foot of the bed and dried her beautiful girlfriend off. Ali scooted back away from the wet edge of the bed and pulled the sheets around her waist, chuckling.

“Why am I naked? Did we, uh...”

“No Al, we didn’t. You’re naked because you kept fighting me when I was trying to put your pajamas on so I finally gave up.” Ashlyn held out her hand with the pills and then offered what was left of the water.

Ali took the pills and swallowed them, handing the glass back to the blonde. “Thanks babe. God did I need those. My head is killing me” she whined and stuck her bottom lip out at the keeper.

“You’ll feel better in a little while, I’ll get you some more water” Ashlyn said and started to walk towards the door.

“There are two bottles in the side pocket of my bag” Ali said, pointing towards her bag and then patting the bed next to her.

Ashlyn handed her one of the bottles after opening it for her and sat next to her on the bed. The brunette took a long drink and then rested her head on the keeper’s shoulder. 

“Thank you so much for taking over last night. I really appreciate it and I won’t forget it” Ali said and kissed her cheek. “And I’m still going to kill you for taking our clothes” she threatened and pinched the keeper’s arm.

“Ow, you’re killing me right now with all of this” Ashlyn waved her hand around in front of Ali’s bare chest, “going on. Give a girl a break would ya?” she held her hand in front of her own eyes. “You killed me last night with all of that and then again this morning, lying here all sexy and naked. God damn woman, I’m lucky I don’t have balls because they would be blue for sure.”

“Aww, that’s right, I promised you things last night didn’t I” Ali pulled the sheet up and tucked it under her arms and kissed her girlfriend’s lips sweetly. “And then I went and got drunk off my ass and left you in the lurch.” She kissed her again and moved the blonde’s hand away from her eyes. “I’m really sorry Ash” the brunette said apologetically. “I promise though, tonight I’m all yours honey.”

The next breakfast Ashlyn served had turned into a second breakfast for the earlier risers and a first brunch for the later crew. Whitney helped her and they made chocolate chip pancakes, home fries, fluffy scrambled eggs with bacon and toast and lots of fresh fruit. The keeper didn’t really like to cook and wasn’t a good cook. But she could do breakfast. Ashlyn Harris made the best scrambled eggs around, even Ali admitted that. After they ate, the group split up for the afternoon. Some folks stayed at the beach house and sunned and napped in the lounge chairs on the deck. Some went and rented bikes and toured the bike-friendly area. And some walked into town and enjoyed the many different types of shops that lined busy Commercial St, the main drag. There were no rules for the afternoon. Everybody had to be back for dinner at the beach house, burgers and dogs and kebabs on the grille, at 6pm. After dinner they were going to have the official bachelorette party and open presents and tease Sydney into submission. Then they were going out dancing at one of the clubs in town. 

“You’d better be here when I get back young lady” Ali warned her bikini-clad best friend as she stood over her lounge chair and blocked the sunlight. She was using her most serious voice but her face was playful and happy. Sydney sat up, pushed her sunglasses on top of her head and reached both arms out, wiggling her fingers.

“Come give me a hug Alibaba. I love you so much. Thank you for all of this.” Sydney’s voice broke as she spoke into Ali’s ear as they hugged.

“I love you too boo” Ali replied as she squeezed her tight. 

They separated and the brunette started to leave. She turned and surveyed the group staying behind.

“Liz” she said and waited until the petite woman met her eyes. “You’re in charge.”

“Got it Cap” Liz answered and nodded.

Of course Ali had been the team captain in high school, Ashlyn thought to herself as she watched the exchange from the doorway, waiting for her girlfriend. That made perfect sense. She probably would have been in college too, had her accident not happened. It’s just who she was. Everybody always looked to her to do the smart thing, to do what was best for the team or the group. This weekend was a perfect example. Nobody really knew the whole big picture for the weekend except for Ali. She told people what they needed to know so they could do their part when it was time, but she was the one who pulled all those pieces together so seamlessly. The idea of setting ten other women loose in Provincetown for the afternoon would have terrified other party planners. Ali knew and trusted her group, which had been part of the reason she had opted for this type of weekend party in the first place. The only two question marks were Alex and Abby, Sydney’s friends from work. Ali had met them both a few times over the years and liked them but she didn’t know if she could trust them or not. But so far that weekend she had been pleasantly surprised. Alex had proven to be more than helpful and willing to do some of the dirty work. It hadn’t escaped Ali’s notice that Alex had led the charge on brunch clean-up earlier. Abby was more of a loose cannon. She wasn’t officially in the wild girls group but she definitely wasn’t in the good girls group either. She and Kristie walked a fine line just below the wild girls. So did Ashlyn if Ali was completely honest about it. This afternoon would be the big test. If Ali came back to the beach house and it was a complete mess or if someone had gotten into the food in the fridge for dinner that night that had been labelled “DO NOT TOUCH” or if Sydney was completely drunk, or worse, not there at all, then she had made a big mistake. The brunette thought about staying behind to make sure none of that happened and if Liz hadn’t been there she might have. But she thought it was a good group. Not too many wild girls outnumbering the good girls.

“Text me if you need anything Syd” Ali called over her shoulder as she walked out the door.

Ali and Ashlyn held hands and strolled along the sidewalk looking at all the touristy shops and art galleries and sweet shops. Ali felt much better after drinking a bunch of water and eating brunch. She still had a little bit of a headache but she was sure that would go away with some fresh air and a good walk. Maybe a little bit of ice cream too. They went into several shops and bought some postcards and a shot glass for Ali’s collection. They sat on a bench by the pier that signaled the middle of the busy section of the main drag. Ali ate a soft serve ice cream cone, sharing a few licks with the keeper who was trying not to gain ten pounds in one weekend. They weren’t even halfway through their season yet so she was trying to behave without being a wet blanket for Ali’s fun.

As they started to walk again after the brunette had finished her cone, a shop that was down below street level caught Ashlyn’s eye. She pulled her girlfriend towards it and they went down the steps and into the shop. It was well-lit and bright, despite being below street level. There were four or five other customers in the shop and one employee sitting behind the register by the door. Ashlyn had expected some sort of reaction from Ali but it hadn’t happened yet. She was still processing things slowly, apparently.

“Oh” Ali gasped quietly as she lifted her sunglasses up onto her head and took in her surroundings. They were in an aisle filled with dildos in all different shapes, sizes and colors. Ashlyn squeezed her hand reassuringly and walked them further into the shop.

“You ok Al?” Ashlyn asked softly and kissed her pinkening cheek.

“Yeah, I’m good” Ali answered and nuzzled into the kiss. 

“If you ladies need any assistance you just let me know, ok?” the employee at the register called out to them.

“Will do, thanks” Ashlyn answered the older woman with the nice smile and the thick black glasses.

They interlocked their fingers and walked through every aisle in the shop. They stood close together and talked quietly to each other as they inspected some items up close and looked at others from afar. There was music coming through the audio system in the shop which gave everyone a little bit of privacy. There were two women in the shop by themselves and one other lesbian couple. After they had looked at everything purely as spectators Ashlyn asked the brunette if she had ever wanted to try anything they had just seen. Ali blushed and got shy and embarrassed as she tried to find some words to say.

“I don’t know, maybe, yes” Ali slowly worked her way through all of the answers before giggling and squeezing the keeper’s hand between both of hers.

“We can go now if you want to. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. But if you want to stay and look some more we can do that too” Ashlyn said evenly, trying not to influence the brunette’s decision. 

The kind older woman behind the register noticed Ali’s shyness and opened her mouth to say something but Ashlyn shook her head from side to side and winked at her and she stayed quiet. Ashlyn really wanted to stay and pick something out to take home and try with her beautiful brunette but she wanted to go at Ali’s pace. She was sure Ali had never ever used any sex toys with Emily, and probably not with Sarah either.

“What do you think hon?” Ashlyn asked rubbing her thumb along the back of Ali’s hand in soothing circles.

“We don’t have to go yet” she looked at her phone. “We have lots of time still.” The brunette knew it had nothing to do with time but it made her feel better to say it like that.

“Ok good” Ashlyn said, trying to hide her mounting excitement. She didn’t want to spook her surprisingly innocent girlfriend. “Where do you want to start?”

“Umm I don’t know, you pick” Ali answered as they started walking through the aisles again, no longer just as spectators but as potential participants.

“Well I know you have a vibrator so we could start with something like that...”

Ali stopped short with a horrified look on her face and it took Ashlyn a minute to figure out what had happened.

“Geez Ali, everybody has a vibrator. I have two different ones. It’s nothing to be ashamed of” the keeper reassured her and tried not to laugh at how adorable the brunette looked right at that moment.

“How do you know I have one?” she squeaked out in her quietest voice and Ashlyn did chuckle then. “Don’t laugh at me” Ali said looking annoyed.

“Honey” the blonde was careful to keep her voice down, “I cleaned your room for you when you were sick. I was trying to figure out where things went and I saw it in your drawer.” She turned to the brunette and lifted her chin up until their eyes met. “It’s ok baby. And I’m not laughing at you but you’re so fucking cute right now I can’t help it.” She leaned in and kissed Ali on her nose.

The brunette relaxed a little bit and smiled at her sexy girlfriend in the middle of the sex toy shop. Yet another first and yet another plunge into the deep end for Ali.

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but I have something I think you’ll both be interested in” the woman from behind the register said quietly. “Please follow me” she smiled and nodded her head at Ashlyn as she walked towards the back of the store.

The keeper put her hand in the small of Ali’s back and they walked together, following the other woman. They followed her behind a curtain and found themselves in a kind of a dressing room with a small round table in the middle of it. The woman smiled warmly at them both before talking again.

“I noticed you’re a little shy and I wanted to offer this room to you so you can discuss your purchases more discreetly.” She paused as Ali looked at Ashlyn, who just smiled back at her. “I also have a suggestion that has been very successful for lots of other folks just like you two. Would you like to hear it?” she asked with another friendly smile.

“Sure, thanks” Ashlyn answered without waiting for Ali.

“You each go out and find two or three things that look interesting to you and you bring them back here. Then you talk about them together and decide which one or ones you want to buy. How does that sound?” she looked directly at Ali and waited for her answer.

The brunette nodded her head and said “That sounds good. Thank you.” She gave the woman a shy smile and immediately felt better about the whole thing.

“Now, I have to tell you there’s a camera in here for theft protection purposes. I don’t expect either of you to misbehave but just so you know” she chuckled and handed them each a basket and ushered them back out to the store. “Now go on and have fun.”

Ashlyn wanted to kiss the woman and thought she might just on their way out the door. Ali felt much bolder knowing she could just bring whatever it was back to the little room and investigate it with Ashlyn in private.

Thirty minutes later they stood around the small table in the private room, baskets in hand.

“Why don’t you go first Al. Let’s see what you brought back to look at” Ashlyn encouraged her girlfriend.

“Ok, well, I don’t really know much about any of this...I’m sorry I’m so bad at all of this Ash.”

“Hey, don’t say that. There’s nothing wrong with not knowing things. As long as you learn them when it’s time to learn them. Gram used to say that, as much as I hate to bring her up right now. But it’s true.” Ashlyn chuckled and gave Ali a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead. “I’m not judging you at all baby. Just like I hope you’re not judging me because I have used some of these things before.”

“You have?” Ali asked, her eyes wide.

“Yeah, I have. Not too many and nothing too wild, but yeah” she answered and waited a minute. “Does that bother you?”

Ali chewed on her bottom lip as she thought of how to say what she wanted to say. “No of course it doesn’t bother me. I kind of like it, honestly.” She waited another minute and took a breath. “I want you to know that I’m not always going to be so new and naïve about everything. I really like everything we’ve ever done, loved really.” She blushed again but pushed through. “I can feel myself changing and growing with you and it’s exciting. But I’m afraid... you might not want that...you might want me to stay new and naïve. Like, that’s what you find attractive about me or something.” She looked up into dark green hazel eyes and blinked, waiting for Ashlyn to say something.

“This isn’t really where I wanted to have this conversation” she chuckled nervously. “But I’ve noticed you changing too and it is exciting. It’s fucking hot as hell if you want the dirty truth. I love you so much Ali and I honestly couldn’t care less how much experience you have with sex toys or sex in general. All I care about is if you like what we do together. That’s all that matters to me.” She cupped her girlfriend’s face and continued. “And I plan on having sex with you for a very very long time and I think it’s always good to try new things and change things up a little bit. I think that’s true in life and in sex. And that’s the whole point of sex toys, in my opinion anyway. They’re just something to use from time to time when you feel like it. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah it does. I love you too babe.”

“But there’s one more thing I want to make sure you understand before we go any further.” She looked at Ali and was very serious for a minute. “I don’t need any of this crap to love having sex with you. Not any of it.” Ashlyn loved the way Ali’s face lit up and gave the brunette a quick kiss. She whispered in her ear “I swear one of these times you’re gonna make me come just from kissing you baby.”

They separated and got back to the task at hand. Ali put a strap-on dildo, a harness to go with it, and a pair of fuzzy handcuffs on the table. Ashlyn smiled and winked at her and then emptied her basket. The keeper added two different types of double-sided dildos, the wearer ends were different and one used a strap and one didn’t, a package of red satin ribbon restraints and a small black anal plug. The anal plug was a joke and she knew she was taking a huge risk joking around at a time like that. But she and Ali had always been able to laugh about things. She was pretty sure they would laugh about that too. She sure hoped so anyway. Ashlyn watched the brunette’s eyes go wide as she looked at the dildos and then grow curious as she looked at the satin ribbons.

“What are these for?” she asked picking up the package and looking at the back. “Oh” she smiled. “Much better than the handcuffs.”

The keeper held her breath as the brunette squinted at the anal plug, waiting for her reaction. Finally she heard her gasp again and then giggle. God she loved that woman and that giggle.

“You’re a jerk” Ali said and smacked the blonde’s arm with the anal plug package and tossed it back into the basket on the floor. “A big jerk” she giggled again and swatted Ashlyn on her butt.

They spent time talking about each item on the table and discussing who might want to wear what. Ashlyn explained that sizing was sometimes hard to determine and not to feel bad if something didn’t fit perfectly the first time. Sometimes trial and error was the only way.

After thirty minutes and another trip to the aisles they were completely turned on and ready to make their purchases. The woman at the register smiled at them as Ashlyn emptied their basket and placed a medium sized pink dildo with a harness to go with it, two different flavors of lube, the red satin ribbons and the strapless purple double-sided dildo on the counter. They had also thrown in a couple of things to add to their gifts for Sydney’s official party later that night. Ashlyn reached for her wallet.

“I can get it...” Ali offered, always cognizant of how much money the blonde had spent on the house over the past eighteen months.

“No, let me, please” the blonde interrupted her. “You trusted me enough to come in here, let me get these. You can buy the next time” she said and winked, making Ali blush again.


	14. Bachelorette Party Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning

The shenanigans Sunday night were much more subdued than the previous night but just as much fun. Dinner had been delicious and easier to manage than Ali had originally thought. Alex and Whitney helped her in the kitchen and Abby turned out to be a real wizard with the grill. Alex and Sydney vouched for her and Ali let her take over the grilling duties.

“Wow Abs, she’s trusting you with the grilling. She must be drunk!” Sydney teased. “Now don’t fuck it up!”

The alcohol flowed freely but most everyone seemed to pace themselves after the devastating effects of the night before. Jessie, Kristie and Carm had spent the afternoon bar-hopping and were already very drunk. Ali had been worried when they stumbled up the deck steps from the beach, fully clothed and soaking wet from what they said was “a rogue fucking wave that tried to kill us!” Sydney had cackled at them and told them to go shower and change and then come back down to eat. The coach was sober and in charge, ready to fuel up for another awesome night with all of her favorite people. She caught Ali’s eye and winked at her as the drunkards tripped up the stairs giggling. The best friends knew each other so well that the brunette knew that was Sydney’s way of telling her not to worry about them. The coach told Ali, just with that look and wink, that she didn’t care if they stayed drunk and passed out for the rest of the night. They smiled at each other across the big living room and carried on with dinner prep.

“I’ll take first watch” Erica chuckled as she got up and followed the wild girls upstairs.

“Thanks E!” Sydney yelled behind her.

It really was a great group. Somebody always stepped up to do whatever unsavory chore popped up, and usually someone else joined in to make it go faster. Ashlyn tossed Whitney a roll of paper towels from where she stood chopping onions behind the kitchen island. The defender started wiping up the trail of saltwater they had trailed through the house and Liz jumped in to help. 

Ali stepped back behind the kitchen island and checked the progress Ashlyn and Alex had made with the vegetable chopping and salad preparation respectively. She praised them both and then thanked them again. She asked Alex to bring the kebabs out to Abby and see if they were still on schedule to eat in about fifteen minutes. She wrapped her arm around the keeper’s waist and squeezed as she pressed a warm kiss to the top of her tattoo sleeve, loving the feel and smell of bare skin. She gave a slow lick as she pulled away.

“Hey now” Ashlyn said in a low quiet voice, “some of us have very sharp objects in our hands.” She swallowed hard and tried to keep her hands steady above the cutting board.

“Sorry babe” Ali purred softly into the blonde’s arm as she repeated the kiss and lick with a smirk.

From the moment they climbed the steps and left the sex shop an hour earlier their bodies had both been on fire. They had walked home arm-in-arm and it was one of the sexiest twenty minutes they had ever spent. They pressed as much skin together as they possibly could. Ashlyn carried the discreet brown shopping bag in one hand and rubbed and caressed Ali’s waist and hip and thigh and ass with the other as they walked unsteadily down the sidewalk. Ali had one hand around the keeper’s waist and ran it up and down her torso, grazing the side of her breast every few steps. The brunette’s other arm was stretched across her own stomach and over onto Ashlyn’s. Two of her fingers latched onto one of the blonde’s belt loops almost to the middle of her jeans while her thumb and other fingers explored Ashlyn’s soft skin under her t-shirt. They kissed occasionally, bringing their lips together as they walked along.

By the time they got to the front door of the beach house they could barely walk, the desire was so strong and their cores and clits so sensitive. When Ali closed their bedroom door behind them Ashlyn dropped the shopping bag and pressed her up against it, hard. They had barely enough time for a quickie and knew they couldn’t waste a minute on words or teasing or seduction. Ashlyn had been turned on since she first woke up and was about to lose her mind. Ali felt the blonde’s tongue shove itself into her mouth and moaned around it as her own joined in.

“Shhhh, quiet baby” Ashlyn warned when they broke the kiss quickly, desperate for different lips to be sucked and kissed.

Ali kissed her again and walked her backwards to the foot of the bed. She unbuttoned the blonde’s jeans and pulled them to the ground with her boxer briefs as she sank to her knees in front of her sexy keeper.

“Oh my God Ashlyn...I love you” Ali said as she buried her face in the blonde’s soaking wet folds.

Ashlyn pulled her t-shirt and bra off and groaned as quietly as she could as she closed her eyes in pleasure. She sat down on the edge of the bed when she felt her legs start to tremble.

“Holy shit that feels amazing” she panted out as Ali wrapped her arm around her waist and pulled her closer to the edge.

The brunette swirled her tongue around inside Ashlyn’s wet pussy one last time then licked her folds and sucked on her clit as she slid two fingers into her pulsing center. She worked fast, not wanting to waste any time. If Ashlyn was half as horny as she was herself then she couldn’t move fast enough.

“Fuck yes!” the blonde said as quietly as she could, biting her lip to keep from saying more.

Ali left her clit and moved her mouth up to her breasts, moaning as she licked and nibbled on them. Ashlyn’s breasts were bouncing with Ali’s strong thrusts and the keeper started to tug on one nipple while Ali sucked on the other.

“More...harder...” the blonde whined desperately.

The brunette stopped for a second as she lifted Ashlyn’s leg over her own shoulder and pushed her to lay down flat on the bed. She spread her other leg open as far as she could and then shoved three fingers back into her girlfriend’s needy core. Ali thrusted hard and fast and as deep as she could, every moan and whimper leaving Ashlyn’s lips turning her on even more. The brunette worked on Ashlyn’s right nipple with her fingers, pinching and rolling it roughly as the keeper kept tending to the other nipple herself.

“Oh my fucking God Ali...”

When Ashlyn’s silken walls started to tighten around her fingers Ali brought her mouth back down to her aching clit. She sucked it into her mouth and flicked it with her tongue as the keeper writhed in her arms. Ali felt her own passion sliding down her thigh and thought she would come at the same time Ashlyn did she was so turned on by her sexy girlfriend. A few more flicks with her tongue and a scratch down the side of her breast with Ali’s trimmed nails and Ashlyn flew over the edge with a loud shout.

“Yesss!”

Her body succumbed to the long awaited orgasm and bucked and shook violently as she came undone. The keeper’s knee hit Ali in her ear as she flailed around in oblivious ecstasy. She lay back spent and exhausted as Ali pulled her fingers out of her sensitive entrance.

“Holy fuck that felt incredible” Ashlyn said quietly as she tried to catch her breath.

Ali couldn’t wait another second. As soon as she pulled her fingers from Ashlyn’s pussy she lay back on the floor, pulled her shorts and panties down below her bent knees, and shoved her fingers inside her own desperate center. Her chest was heaving and she started panting almost immediately as she pumped. Her arm ached but she had to have her release. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip as she dragged two fingers from her other hand up through her pooled passion. She didn’t think she had ever felt herself so fucking wet. It literally had dripped down the inside of her thigh and her panties had been completely soaked. 

“Ohhhh” she moaned as quietly as possible, almost forgetting where they were for a minute.

Ashlyn slowly became aware of what she was hearing, Ali’s moan bringing her back to the present. The blonde heard the wet slapping of Ali's fingers as she thrust them inside herself faster and harder. Ashlyn sat up quickly, eyes focusing on the sexy brunette fucking herself right at her feet. Her right hand buried in her soft flesh and her left hand just starting to rub her throbbing clit.

“Jesus...” the blonde growled out in a low guttural groan.

It only took her a second to drop to her knees in front of Ali and take over the thrusting for her. Ali happily let her, her own arm screaming in exhaustion. They locked eyes for a second and the brunette smiled lustfully up at her keeper. After another minute Ali closed her eyes, threw her head back and came with a series of spasms and twitches, one of her legs shooting out straight again but getting stuck because of her shorts and panties still around her calves.

“Don’t stop” she murmured, eyes still closed. She moved both of her hands up under her shirt to her own breasts and started squeezing them through her bra.

Ashlyn pulled her panties and shorts off and bent her knees up again as she slowed her thrusts down and changed the angle a bit, looking for her sweet spot. She brought her mouth down around Ali’s sensitive clit and blew hot air onto it, then dragged her tongue around it, careful not to put direct pressure on it yet.

“You ok beautiful?” she asked, wanting to make sure she wasn’t hurting the brunette.

“Mmmmhmmmm...” Ali moaned, eyes still closed, mouth still slack. She had lifted her bra up and was working her fingers against bare nipples that were stiff and red. “I’m ready.”

Ashlyn put her lips back down and sucked gently on her clit. Ali sucked in a breath and moaned again.

“Yesss. Just like that babe.”

The keeper began thrusting harder and faster and the brunette’s body moved with her. Ali tilted her hips up and moaned again as she exhaled a deep breath she had been holding.

“Oh yeah. More.”

Ashlyn increased her pace again, her long fingers reaching deep into Ali’s pussy as her walls started to push against them. Ali brought her left hand back down to her clit and started to rub it, knowing exactly how much pressure was too much and just where she needed more.

“You are so fucking sexy Ali. I swear to God I have never seen anything like it” Ashlyn said quietly and sincerely. She was so turned on herself again that she wasn’t sure they would ever get out of that bedroom.

“Unnhhh, yes! Oh, faster. Ashlyn. I love your fingers inside me...”

Without much warning, and without more than a clipped shout from the brunette, her orgasm hit and held her body perfectly still for a moment and then shook her from head to toe. Ali left her over-sensitive clit alone immediately and reached down and stopped the blonde’s hand too. She rolled onto her side and curled up with a huge grin on her face as she watched Ashlyn licking her fingers clean with darkening eyes.

“Thank you” she breathed out, panting. “That was so good, both of them. God you make me feel good.”

Ashlyn leaned down and kissed the side of her knee and continued dropping kisses all the way up her thigh and hip. She lifted Ali’s shirt and traced her German letters with her tongue as her own wet center sat on the brunette’s strong thigh.

“Oh God you’re so wet. Jesus I could fuck you all night Ash.”

“But we don’t have time...” the keeper said softly. “I know.”

“I’m so sorry honey.” Ali pulled the blonde closer to her face and gave her a slow deep kiss. “I’ll make it up to you” she purred and kissed her again. “Maybe we can go to a sex shop at home and get all hot and bothered again and re-create the moment” she offered hopefully.

They showered as quickly as possible, Ali hopping into the master bath shower and Ashlyn using the other shower. They changed, Ali turning her back to the keeper so she wouldn’t see Ashlyn’s dark hungry eyes and give in, and went downstairs to get to work on dinner. It was going to be a long night. 

Since then, every lingering look, every glancing touch had stoked the fire that was already smoldering. As they stood there in the kitchen just before dinner Ali actually thought about just taking the blonde back upstairs and abandoning the night’s plans. 

“Alright you two, do we need to get the hose?” Sydney teased from the end of the big table on the other side of the room. Ali laughed and kissed Ashlyn’s lips quickly before she picked up two bowls of salad and walked towards the table.

“You already had your quickie, we all heard you. Ash you just can’t keep your hands off of her huh?” Sydney winked at the keeper who blushed as she scraped the chopped vegetables into small bowls on the counter next to her.

“More like out of me if you really wanna know” Ali sassed back, surprising even herself with her brazenness.

Sydney’s eyebrows went up so high they disappeared into her hairline and she squealed with delight at the brunette’s sexy comeback. Whitney and Ashlyn exchanged a look and laughed along with everybody else that had heard the remark.

“Damn girl! Ok. Ok. I see how it is now” the coach nodded her head approvingly and smacked Ali on the butt as she walked past her towards the kitchen. Sydney caught Ashlyn’s eye and gave her a surprised smirk. The keeper just shrugged her shoulders.

“Hey, she said it, not me” the blonde replied as she handed the bowls of veggies to Sydney. “But she’s not wrong.”

“Alright then, I’m ready to start drinking again if that’s how it’s gonna be in here tonight” Sydney joked and giggled.

“I could use a drink” Ali added. “Margarita anyone?”

Dinner went very smoothly. Everybody was hungry and the food was delicious. Abby received a lot of praise for her excellent grill work and she passed most of it along to Ali for making all the wonderful food that she grilled. The margaritas flowed all through the meal. Alex and Ashlyn had driven to the store mid-meal to get more margarita mix and ice just to try and keep up, live-parking to save time.

As they gathered again in the living room with their drinks and gifts, after dinner was cleaned up and put away, Sydney stood up and got emotional as she said a few words to her closest friends.

“I’m having the best weekend you guys and it’s because of all of you. I love you all so much, even you three knuckleheads” she motioned towards one of the couches where Jessie, Carm and Kristie were sitting, still very drunk from the afternoon. “Really, I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend. You all being here is the best and I’m just so happy to be here with you. And you,” she sniffed and tried to get her voice to stop quavering as she looked at Ali. “You made all of this happen and everything is awesome” she sniffed again, “And you’re awesome and I love you.” She took a deep breath and continued. “And I can’t thank you all enough for coming down to celebrate and get rowdy with me.” Everybody cheered and hooted and hollered as the coach sat down to open her gifts. 

Two hours and much laughter and embarrassment later, all the gifts had been opened and manhandled by everyone in the group. Ali sat next to Sydney and wrote down who had brought what so the coach could do her thank-yous later. When they were done and the gifts were being passed back up so Ali could put them in bags to bring up to Sydney’s room the coach picked up the red satin restraints in one hand and an insanely large black dildo in the other and winked at Ali.

“You can borrow these later if you want” Sydney teased quietly, hoping to get a blush out of Ali. 

Sydney knew Ali wasn’t shy. That was never the right word because she was definitely not shy about anything other than sex. And normally the coach would never tease her like that in front of other people just because she knew how uncomfortable it made her best friend. But Sydney had noticed the change in Ali as well. The joke before dinner had been the confirmation but she had already seen, firsthand, the brunette be more open about sex when they had their weekly get-togethers. When they were growing up they were equals at everything, pushing each other to excel and matching each other’s successes. Ali slowly surpassed Sydney on the soccer pitch, before they specialized in different positions, and at most drinking games. The one area that Sydney was always ahead of Ali though was dating and sex. It wasn’t rocket science. Sydney had dated more people and was naturally more aggressive and outgoing in the dating department. She had always been the one to get to their first times first and she had always been open and honest when she shared them with the brunette afterwards. They had never once been competitive about it. Sydney could not have been happier about the new, more sexually confident Ali blossoming under Ashlyn’s care. 

“No thanks” Ali replied softly with a wink. “We got our own.”

“Girl, we have got to talk. I can’t keep up with you boo!” Sydney answered back with a giggle.

The club was a blast. There were only a couple in town, one was primarily lesbian and the other mostly gay guys. Neither excluded anybody and they were both always packed. They chose the lesbian club because Sydney said she wanted somebody to try and hit on her at least once that night. Their group certainly drew some attention. They had gathered around a couple of tables in one of the corners of the club and took turns wading out onto the packed dance floor. The three earlier drunks had recovered enough to be functioning participants again. Kristie, Jessie, Sydney, Alex, Erica, Liz and Ali were virtual fixtures on the dance floor. Ashlyn, Abby, Whitney and Carm joined every once in a while but mostly hung at the tables and kept the drinks and shots coming and the laughter rolling. They had arrived at about 10pm and it was almost 1am before any trouble actually started.

There were some thirsty lesbians there who were also, apparently, women’s soccer fans. It was hard to miss Ashlyn, even in a dark club packed with other women. She stood out. She was tall and her blonde hair caught a lot of the lights and her sleeve was unmistakable if you weren’t quite positive it was really her otherwise. A couple of groups of women had worked their way over to Ashlyn during the course of the night to say hi and tell her how awesome she was. They took selfies together and asked Ashlyn to sign things for them. A couple had recognized Kristie once they got over to say hi to Ashlyn. And one small group came over to the tables just to tell Whitney they thought she was the best defender in the NWSL. Whitney practically glowed the rest of the night after that.

Sydney and Ali kept their eyes on the scene at the tables but didn’t feel like anything was going wrong. Alex and Kristie had been over there for a while and they told the dancers that there was nothing to worry about. 

But before long the autograph requests got more brazen with women asking the keeper to sign their breasts or bras or panties. Ashlyn was always accommodating and friendly with her fans. That’s just how she believed it was supposed to be. And she was all for a little harmless fun. Somebody had come up with a sharpie and the autographing began. Pretty soon the marriage proposals started coming at Ashlyn and she politely but firmly declined them telling the women that she was already taken. Abby, Carm and Whitney noticed an uptick in the overall eagerness of the women and positioned themselves in a protective but small semi-circle around the keeper. Whitney looked at the dance floor and saw Ali’s eyes immediately searching for hers too. Whitney shook her head from side to side and made a grim face. Ali nodded and jerked her head toward the door. Whitney nodded back and loudly told Carm and Abby that it was time to go. 

Ashlyn was still trying to be nice when a couple of women started grabbing at her, one of them getting a fistful of shirt and a little bit of the keeper’s breast. One of the other women who had already had her bra signed by Ashlyn yelled at the grabber and pushed her away from the blonde. Ashlyn tried to keep everybody calm as her three friends started to try and move their foursome towards the exit which was all the way across the club. Whitney yelled to Abby, who was in the front, to head towards the bar. Maybe they could get some help from the bartender or maybe there was some security she could call for them.

Ali saw the pushing and shoving start and she grabbed Sydney’s hand and pulled her with her towards the keeper. Their original plan was to just meet at the door since it was closer to where they were dancing. Sydney grabbed Jessie and soon all seven of the dancers were plowing over towards the pinned down foursome in the corner. Abby whistled loudly and got the bartender’s attention who looked up at the commotion with wide eyes. She went to the other end of the bar and shouted to somebody else and soon a bouncer started to make his way from the door over to the corner.

The drunk, grabby women kept at it, one of them pulling so hard on Ashlyn’s sleeveless t-shirt that the seam at the collar ripped open. Another woman had leaned in and kissed the keeper on her cheek, leaving a pair of bright red lipstick lips as evidence. A different woman had kissed her on the corner of her mouth. Someone had knocked her snapback off her head and the keeper started to bend down to pick it up and someone grabbed her ass and squeezed it hard. Carm saw what happened and yelled for her to just leave it. Ashlyn was truly shocked by the whole thing. What had been a calm, respectful interaction with a handful of fans had been whipped up into a frenzy of out of control, drunk, disrespectful and dangerous women, many of whom didn’t even know who Ashlyn was. 

Just when Abby, Carm and Whitney felt like they were fighting a losing battle, they had only managed to move about five feet in total, the cavalry appeared. Ali and Sydney were the tip of the spear, slicing roughly through the women to get to the foursome. Ali literally shoved one woman out of the way while Sydney threw another one to the other side. Jessie and Kristie were right behind them ready to add their muscle if necessary. Ali’s blood was boiling. She had gone from slight annoyance at the situation to mid-level concern for her girlfriend’s well-being up to irate hatred for the groping interlopers. And where the fuck were the goddamned bouncers?! When they were about three feet away from the keeper Ali saw a woman reach out and pull Ashlyn’s hair in an attempt to get her to turn her head so she could kiss her on the lips. The blonde yelled out in pain and brought her hands up to separate the woman from her hair. The woman kissed Ashlyn’s hand and released her hair just as Ali & Sydney grabbed her arms and yanked her away from the keeper. Ashlyn’s eyes went wide until she saw who it was coming to her rescue and she gave them a relieved half-smile as someone else grabbed at her from the other side. Carm got both her hands on that one and shoved her backwards.

Now that they were eleven strong again they were able to move much more quickly towards the bar. Ali stood between Abby and Ashlyn. She told Ashlyn not to let go of her and she told Abby to get fucking moving. The bouncer finally made his way to them as well and started yelling loudly for everybody to back off. Once they got to the bar it wasn’t so bad. Thankfully the crazy people had all migrated over to their corner leaving the sane club-goers to the rest of the place. When they were outside Ali pulled Ashlyn into a hug and then held her out at arm’s length to look her over, taking in her condition. Her shirt was ripped in three places, she had lipstick in two spots on her face, her snapback was gone, she had scratches on both arms and one on her neck. The good news was that she had a goofy, shell-shocked grin on her face and a twinkle in her eye.

“Well that was fun” the keeper said sarcastically, rolled her eyes and grinned again. “What the fuck happened to you?” she asked in a panic when she finally noticed the red welt rising on Ali’s cheekbone.

Ali hadn’t even noticed when she had taken an elbow to the face during the final push to get through the most aggressive women who were closest to her keeper. The brunette touched her cheek and flinched when she felt the pain under her fingertips. She kissed Ashlyn lightly on the lips and told everybody to stay put while she talked to the bouncer and had him help her pay their bar bill. 

“We shouldn’t have to pay anything man! What kind of security do you call that anyway?! We were almost fucking killed in there!!” Sydney yelled after the bouncer as he went inside the club again to close out their tab.

Thirty minutes later they were a few blocks away at the gay club dancing happily together, all eleven of them. They needn’t have worried though. Nobody in there knew anything about women’s soccer or Ashlyn Harris. Although a couple of guys at the bar were laughing about some Instagram photos of a fight at the lesbian club. The women all rolled their eyes and laughed when they heard that. The bartender recognized their group from the Instagram pictures and bought them a round of shots. The group took over that end of the bar and drank and laughed with a bunch of the guys until the club closed an hour later. Ali had been the most popular person in the group for the rest of the night because of her brother Kyle. She had jokingly said how much she missed her brother and how much he would love the club and one of the guys asked about him and they got to talking and he had screamed when he realized who her brother was. Half of the club followed him on Instagram and watched his weekly YouTube videos. Ali ended up snapchatting the rest of their night so all the guys could say hello to him. They had made such good friends with everybody that the bartender arranged for them to have the first ride of the night in the shuttle bus that the club ran up and down the strip to help get their customers home safely.

They slowly made their way up to their rooms, except for Alex. It was her turn to sleep on the couch. Abby had slept on the couch the night before while Alex slept with Sydney. They had agreed to switch places the second night. Ashlyn went to take a shower after being mauled at the first club. Ali started to get ready for bed, still a little drunk. Sydney came in, also a little drunk, and sat down on the edge of the bed with a goofy grin on her face. She was giving Alex and Abby some time in her bedroom to get changed for bed. The best friends had managed to have a fairly lengthy conversation on their walk to the club earlier. Sydney had asked about the new sexy Ali Krieger and the brunette had opened up about all of the new things she had tried and new feelings she was having. Sydney shed a few happy tears listening to her best friend as they walked along, arm-in-arm. She had cackled when Ali told her about the sex shop and the private room at the back. 

As she sat on Ali’s bed laughing about the gay boys being in love with Kyle she saw the brown paper bag in the corner next to Ali’s overnight bag. She giggled and went and got it, bringing it back to her spot on the bed. Ali had been taking her contacts out so she couldn’t see what Sydney was up to until she slid her glasses onto her face.

“Oh my God. Sydney Rae!” she whisper-shouted as she tried to get the bag back from her.

“Aw, come on. Just let me see what you got. Pleeaaase?” Sydney begged.

Ali considered the request and then giggled as her excitement and the alcohol got the better of her. They went through the purchases one by one, giggling and laughing together. Ali had to explain how the double-sided dildo worked, just as Ashlyn had had to explain it to her. 

“Wow, that sounds fucking awesome” Sydney enthused as she gazed at the purple dildo in her hand.

“I’ll be sure to let you know” Ali smirked and then giggled and blushed.

She flopped back on the bed and Sydney joined her, absent-mindedly resting the sex toy on her leg. The coach took her friend’s hand and squeezed it, dropping their clasped hands between them on the bed.

“I’m so happy for you Alibaba” she said softly, looking at the ceiling fan.

“Thanks boo. Me too. I still can’t believe she loves me back.” Ali paused. “I finally feel like myself again. Like, my old self before my leg and Emily self. You know?” She turned her head to look at Sydney and saw a tear running down the side of her face towards the bed. “I’m sorry Syd, it’s your big weekend and here I am blathering on...”

“Oh shut up will you?” Sydney said, turning her head to meet her best friend’s worried eyes. “I’m crying because I feel the same way.” She smiled at the confused look on Ali’s face. “I feel like you’re all the way back Al, or at least on the road to being all the way back. Your old self. You got your groove back or your mojo or whatever the fuck you want to call it.”

Ali smiled and rolled over to hug her loyal, patient and kind friend. Sydney wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her tightly.

“You’re getting your confidence in yourself back boo. That’s what it is. I’m so fucking happy I could scream” Sydney said quietly into Ali’s ear as they hugged.

“Well shit, don’t do that, tonight’s been eventful enough, don’t you think?” Ali answered and giggled into the hug.

The door opened and Ashlyn came in towel-drying her hair. She wore a t-shirt and a pair of sleep shorts and she smiled when she saw Ali and Sydney hugging on the bed. She cocked her head to the side and frowned when she saw the purple dildo sticking out between their legs.

“I don’t mean to interrupt but I’m pretty sure that’s my girlfriend and my new toy you’re manhandling there Leroux.”

“Yeah, well she was mine first Harris. You just have to wait your damned turn woman” Sydney dead-panned and then giggled.

The two women sat up and Ali laughed when she saw the dildo pressed into Sydney’s thigh. The coach patted Ali on her leg and kissed her cheek. “Ooh, I think you’re getting a shiner. You should put some ice on that before you go to sleep” Sydney winced as she caught sight of Ali’s left cheekbone. She picked up the dildo and smirked at Ashlyn, who blushed.

“Ice, right, I’ll go get you some ice baby” the keeper said sheepishly and left the room.

Sydney giggled again and turned back to Ali, handing her the sex toy. “I think she’s afraid of this thing.”

Ali laughed with her and said “No, it’s you. She’s afraid of you Syd.”

The brunette put the toy back into the bag with the rest of the things they bought and moved it back to the corner. She was excited to try out their new purchases but not that night. She was exhausted and could barely keep her eyes open. And her cheek was killing her. She hoped Ashlyn would understand.

“Alright, I’ll let you get to it then sexy mama” Sydney teased as she walked to the door.

“Did you have a good weekend? Was this ok?” Ali asked tentatively.

Sydney smiled broadly and answered sincerely. “Best weekend ever boo. Best. Ever. Thank you.”


	15. The Nittiest of the Grittiest

During her week off Ashlyn had three main objectives. First was to get some more work done on her right lower leg tattoo. She wanted to get the lady liberty she had designed for the back of her right calf. She had an appointment on Tuesday with a woman in Cambridge that her tattoo artist from home, Lisa, had recommended. Second was to try their new sex toys with Ali as soon as possible. The problem with that was timing. Ali got her period Monday afternoon as they drove home from the Cape. They were both frustrated with the delay but knew it wasn’t the end of the world. And the third objective was to convince Ali to move in with her once and for all. They practically lived together already and Ashlyn didn’t see why they shouldn’t just make it official and move all of Ali’s things in.

The tattoo appointment went well and when Ashlyn got home Tuesday afternoon she was sore but happy. She loved getting tattoos. It made her happier than almost anything else. She always felt like she needed to apologize to Gram because she knew the old woman didn’t like tattoos very much. But she absolutely loved them. Ashlyn loved the entire creative process behind them. The conceptual design and the story behind the tattoo fascinated her. But then working with the artist to sketch it out and map it out on her skin was thrilling too. By the time she had the final collaborative result inked into her flesh forever she was ecstatic.

When she got home she was disappointed to find Ali not there. The brunette had already warned her how brutal the short weeks could be, especially when things were busier like they were at the beginning of June. Ali had spent the entire day at her desk in her home office replying to emails, returning phone calls and putting out fires that had popped up while she was gone for the long weekend. Her cheek hurt and she kept forgetting to ice it. She had planned to go to the big old house for dinner and sleep over. Whitney was away visiting her family in California for the first half of the week. She would spend the weekend with Ryan in North Carolina before coming back to Boston late Sunday night. As much as Ali loved having Whitney around, and she really truly did love having the defender around, she and Ashlyn had looked forward to having the house to themselves for the week. And even though she had her period and didn’t really feel very sexy herself she still wanted to make the most of their week together. She packed up as much work stuff as she thought she might need, loaded up her truck and headed to Gloucester.

It was late by the time she got there, almost 8pm. She had missed dinner and was hungry and cranky and her cramps were killing her. She let herself in the side door and went right to the fridge to get something to eat so she could take some ibuprofen and get curled up in bed. Ashlyn came down the back stairs a few minutes later rubbing sleep out of her eyes and yawning.

“Hey baby, when did you get here?” she leaned over and kissed Ali’s good cheek as she sat eating at the kitchen table. She noticed the brunette’s skin was clammy and pale.

“Just ten minutes ago. Sorry I’m so late.” She took another big bite of leftover lasagna and then popped the pills into her mouth with a big drink of water.

“Cramps?” the blonde asked, concerned.

Ali swallowed and finished the glass of water. “Yes. They’re fucking killing me today. Worst I’ve had in a long time.” She closed her eyes and Ashlyn saw her hands shaking just a little bit.

“Are you ok Al?” Ashlyn asked and squatted down next to her, wincing in pain at the pressure on her fresh tattoo. She straightened her right leg out but didn’t say anything. “You don’t look too good baby. What can I do for you?”

“I should be ok in a few minutes once the advil kicks in. I waited too long to eat. And I can’t take ibuprofen without food because of my stomach so I’ve been waiting to take it until I ate and I’m a fucking idiot” Ali answered with her eyes closed and her teeth gritted together as a wave of pain swept over her. She was sweating and shaking and Ashlyn didn’t like it. She had never seen Ali’s cramps be anything like that before.

“Do you want me to run you a hot bath? Or how about a heating pad? Will that help?” Ashlyn stood up ready to go do whatever she could to help.

“I just need to curl up and lie down really. That and the pills should do the trick.”

Ashlyn helped her up the backstairs and got her changed into some pajamas. She went into the bathroom and shut the door behind her, leaving Ashlyn wringing her hands in the bedroom. When she came out a minute later her whole body was sweating and her pajamas were almost soaked before she got into the bed.

“I’m sorry I’m sweaty and gross” the brunette mumbled as she got into bed on Ashlyn’s side, just because it was closer, and curled up in the fetal position.

Ashlyn sat on the edge of the bed next to her and Ali winced at the slight movement the bed made under her weight. The keeper put her hand on Ali’s shoulder soothingly but she shrugged it off saying “Don’t.” Her eyes were screwed shut and she looked very pale.

“I swear I’ll be ok. Any kind of movement hurts so please don’t touch me or move the bed. And I don’t want to talk for a little bit. Ok? I’m sorry babe but it won’t last too long.”

“Do you want me to stay?”

“Only if you don’t move.”

Ashlyn got up as carefully as she could, trying desperately not to move the bed. She went into the bathroom to grab the towels so she could finish doing the laundry she had started earlier that afternoon, before her nap. She saw the drawer where they kept the tampons and pads was open and there were some on the floor beneath it. Ali must really be in pain to not only make a mess but then not clean it up too. Ashlyn put them away, closed the drawer and collected the towels, careful to put fresh ones out in case Ali needed one.

Two hours later Ashlyn poked her head in the door to the back stairs to check on her beautiful brunette. When she had checked an hour earlier, Ali had been asleep but still sweating and pale and obviously still in pain. This time her eyes were open but she hadn’t moved at all. Ashlyn went over to the bed and bent over, smiling at the brunette.

“Hey baby, are you feeling any better?” she asked quietly. “Don’t talk if it still hurts too much. I understand.”

Ali looked like she was about to cry. “Can you bring me more advil and water?” she asked in a small, choked voice.

“You got it.”

Ashlyn was back in less than a minute with two bottles of water, a protein bar and the bottle of ibuprofen. She opened the bottle of water and set it on the night stand and then poured out two pills into her hand. She was concerned that it was too soon for more advil but Ali was not one to break the rules lightly. If she said it was time for more advil then it was time.

“Two?” she asked and Ali nodded.

With great effort Ali sat half-way up and leaned on her elbow so she could take the pills and swallow the water. She winced and got back into the fetal position again but this time on her left side, turning her back to Ashlyn. The keeper could see her t-shirt stuck to her sweaty back and she felt so bad for her and helpless. She moved the covers up to above her shoulder, apologizing as she did so.

“I’m sorry Ash” the brunette squeaked out. “I should have just stayed home.” She paused and shook some more. “I’m sorry.”

“Shhhh baby don’t worry about it. I’m glad you’re here and I’ll do anything I can to help you. Don’t be sorry.” 

She moved around to the other side of the bed by the fireplace, Ali’s side. She saw that the brunette’s eyes were open and she had tears in them. 

“Ok you’re making me nervous now Al. Don’t talk, I know it hurts, but do I need to take you to the hospital?”

Ali closed her eyes and shook her head so imperceptibly that Ashlyn wasn’t sure she had even seen it move. But she knew it meant no. Ok. Whew. She got the dressing table chair and moved it over to where the recliner used to be so she could sit on it and still see Ali’s face.

“I haven’t sat in this spot in a while” she chuckled and Ali’s lips made the slightest upturn. “I found this book in one of the boxes upstairs” she almost slipped and said ‘while I was working on the plan for your new office’ but caught herself. “I’ve always wanted to read it and just never did. Do you want me to read it to you? I don’t have to. I can just sit here and read it to myself. I won’t even move my lips when I read” she teased and winked. 

Ali closed her eyes for a second and gave her a barely distinguishable nod.

“Alright. That was a yes.”

Ashlyn sat back and almost put her feet up on the bed but stopped in the nick of time. She opened Henry David Thoreau’s ‘Cape Cod’ and started reading out loud.

Ali loved hearing Ashlyn’s voice as she read to her. It was so high and pure and pretty. It didn’t really fit with her tough tattooed exterior or her cocky goalkeeper attitude, but it was the prettiest voice Ali had ever heard. She wasn’t sure if it was that beautiful voice or all the ibuprofen finally starting to work but her cramps slowly started to change from the excruciating ‘knife twisting in her gut’ cramps to the ‘slow rolling waves of pain’ cramps. It still hurt like hell but it was progress. The brunette honestly couldn’t remember the last time they had been that bad. It must have been all the way back with Emily, after college. When they were that bad there was only one thing left to do that would help. She’d have a fun time trying to explain to her girlfriend afterwards but she didn’t really have a choice. She had to get the cramps to stop.

Ashlyn really liked the book. She had taken a break to pee and bring up some more water for them both, in case Ali needed more. But she spent almost an hour reading it out loud. It wasn’t poetry but it almost felt like it. As she read she saw Ali shift her position and roll onto her back. Her face was still creased in pain and her hair stuck to her damp forehead and face. Ashlyn kept reading as she watched Ali, above the book, maneuver herself in the background. The brunette stretched her right leg out straight, wincing in pain, and then bent her left leg to the side. She moved her hands underneath the covers and down to her crotch. She closed her eyes and started rubbing. The keeper was confused and concerned and pretty sure her girlfriend was masturbating while she read ‘Cape Cod’ to her. Ashlyn thought about helping her, then thought maybe she should leave her alone. She decided to just keep reading. If Ali needed her help she would ask for it. And if she wanted her to leave she would tell her. A few minutes later Ali’s head pressed back into the pillow and her back arched up a tiny bit. She didn’t make a sound but her breathing had increased and her mouth was open. Ashlyn kept reading until the brunette rolled back over, into the fetal position, to face her and opened her eyes. For the first time that night Ashlyn saw her favorite whiskey colored eyes without the shroud of pain covering them. She was still pale and sweaty but the keeper could tell that progress had been made against whatever it was that was hurting her so much. 

“Are you ok?” she asked softly, lowering the book so she could see her beautiful girlfriend.

“Getting there. I’ll tell you all about it in a few minutes ok?” she answered in a thin voice. 

Her eyes may have looked pain-free but her body definitely was not. Ashlyn could hear the hurt in her voice and it made her sad.

“Ok. I’m going to finish this chapter if that’s alright?”

Ali nodded the tiniest nod and watched her keeper read to her.

Twenty minutes later Ashlyn had changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed careful not to move too much. Ali had pleaded with her to sleep with her and not stay in the guest room. 

“I swear I’m feeling much better. Not great, but better. The slightest movement won’t hurt me now, like talking. You can touch me, just not near my stomach, and it won’t hurt.”

Ashlyn had relented and gotten into bed on Ali’s side. The brunette adamant about not switching sides because she had gotten Ashlyn’s side all sweaty. She had leaned up and put on the fresh t-shirt the blonde had brought her but that was all the moving she was going to do.

“So, what was all of that?” Ashlyn asked once she had settled in to bed. She was curled on her right side facing Ali and they held hands between their chests.

“I haven’t been keeping this from you. It just hasn’t happened in a really long time. Trust me, when it happens I can’t keep it from whoever is the lucky one with me.” She chuckled a little. “Poor Carm. I got a really bad cramp attack like this at the end of one of our classes senior year and I knew I had to lie down and take some ibuprofen. I had already started to sweat as we left class and I hauled ass across campus to get back to my dorm so I could lie down. She did her best to keep up with me, we were both really fit back then, but by the time I dropped my bag in my room and hit my bed she could barely breathe. She came in a few minutes behind me, I left my door open because I knew she’d check on me and there was no way I was getting up to open it for her.” Ali rested for a minute and then continued. “She got me the pills from my bag and some water so I could take them and then she sat with me. She sat at my desk and did her homework instead of reading a lovely book to me though.” The brunette pulled Ashlyn’s hand to her lips and kissed it. 

“So it’s just really bad cramps?”

“Well, yeah I guess. I’ve had all sorts of tests done and they could never find anything wrong with me. For a while, in high school, they thought it was endometriosis but then decided it wasn’t. My mom got really frustrated with my doctor because she knew if I said I was in pain then I was in pain. She knew I had a pretty high pain threshold so for me to complain about it was a big deal. But to the doctors I was just a girl who was whining about her period cramps. Until I fainted from the pain one time between classes.”

“Well that sucks. You’ve had this since high school?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t happen very often. I get cramps every time I get my period and sometimes they’re bad but rarely like they were tonight. I use the ibuprofen to manage the cramps so they don’t slow me down. And because I took so much advil all through high school and college I got an ulcer about five years ago because I was dumb and didn’t take it with food like the pill bottle said. So now I always eat something before I take them. Except in extreme circumstances, like tonight when I thought I would die from the pain.” She reached over and brushed some of the blonde’s hair away from her neck. “Thanks again for bringing me those and for not giving me a hard time about taking too many too soon.”

“I knew if you were breaking the rules there was a damned good reason.” She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead, happy that it was no longer sweaty and clammy. “I love you baby and I’m so glad you’re starting to feel better. Is talking bothering you?”

“No, I’m feeling better, I really am.”

“So when was the last time this happened?”

“I was trying to figure that out and I think it was when I was still with Emily. So...maybe five or six years ago.”

“Oh, ok, so it’s not like this happened and I just wasn’t paying attention. It’s been a long time” Ashlyn clarified, relieved.

“Yeah babe, it’s been five years, at least. You haven’t missed anything.” Ali was quiet for a few minutes before continuing again. “You were so sweet to me tonight Ash. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. It’s one thing to be nice to someone when they’re happy and easy to be with. But you were nice even when I was gruff and curt and short with you – not that I meant to be, it literally hurt every time I talked.”

“Ali, I’m going to be nice to you for the rest of my life if you’ll let me. I don’t care if you’re happy or sad I’ll love you just the same. You don’t ever have to be afraid to show me your real self.”

“You’re amazing. How do you always know what to say to me?” Ali asked as she pressed another kiss to her keeper’s hand.

“I don’t always know what to say” Ashlyn chuckled and grinned. “Like tonight, that last part where you made yourself... feel better. I didn’t know what to do there. I’m sorry if I didn’t do what I was supposed to do...”

“Oh God” Ali cut her off and closed her eyes, blushing into the pillow. “Yeah, that’s like the emergency plan. If all else fails and I can’t take it anymore I give myself an orgasm and it helps a lot. But it hurts so much for me to straighten out and move around so I can do it. I’ve gotta be pretty desperate. It’s the weirdest thing because when one of these cramp attacks happens the last thing on my mind is sex, even with you in the same room” she flirted and winked at the blonde a foot away from her. “One of my doctors suggested it once, she was a woman, of course, and the only one who ever gave me any helpful advice at all. She explained that the contractions in my uterus which are what usually cause the cramping can be contracted again during an orgasm. It kind of zaps them back. She described it like the orgasm sort of changes the frequency that the painful contractions are travelling on and disrupts them. Plus, you get the nice endorphins to help with the pain too. It doesn’t feel like an orgasm much though. It feels far away and disconnected, like it’s only happening in the uterus. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”

“Wow. I feel like I just got a biology lesson I should have had in middle school. I never knew any of that.”

“Don’t feel bad, most people don’t. I never did either, until I had to” Ali giggled at the adorable look on her girlfriend’s face.

“So, was I supposed to help? Can I help the next time? What do you want me to do?” Ashlyn scooched a little closer, careful of her new tattoo and careful not to let her knees touch Ali’s. She reached out to caress the brunette’s shoulder. “Is this ok? I’ve wanted to touch you for over four hours now but I don’t want to hurt you.”

Ali laughed a little. “That feels nice babe. I miss touching you too.” She kissed the keeper’s other hand again. “And yes, if you want to you can help. You don’t have to, but if you wake up some night while I have my period and I’m working away, feel free to jump in. Just, you know, don’t touch my stomach at all.”

“Deal. I can handle that. Count me in” Ashlyn smiled as she replied.

“You realize that I’ll have my period though so, you know, it’s the opposite of sexy” Ali challenged her and quirked an eyebrow at the blonde. “Emily wouldn’t do it.”

“Well that’s her loss. If I can make love to you while you have the flu and are high on cold medicine with snot and drool all over you then I can handle a little blood.” Ashlyn winked and grinned and her dimple popped out.

“What do you mean?!” Ali asked, her voice rising. “When did that happen? We didn’t have sex until I was starting to feel better, did we?” She wracked her brain trying to remember how it had happened.

Ashlyn laughed out loud and leaned in to kiss Ali’s lips tenderly.

“You wanted to have sex so bad one night and you were still really sick. We were just going to cuddle and go to sleep but you climbed on top of me and got me all worked up. You were grinding on me and working on my neck and I struggled so hard with what to do.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Ash. Are you being serious right now?” the brunette asked with wide eyes.

“Absolutely serious. By the time I had decided that you were very clearly asking me to have sex with you and that it would be ok to keep going you had fallen asleep.”

“No” Ali exhaled with a horrified look on her face. “I did not.”

“Yes you most definitely did” Ashlyn giggled. “I was pretty worked up too, you make me hot woman, what can I say?”

“Why didn’t you wake me up? Oh I’m so embarrassed” Ali said shaking her head and covering her face with her hand.

“You were sick sweetheart. You needed your sleep. And I apparently, needed a snotty drool river running down my neck.”

“Eww gross, that part didn’t really happen did it? Please say no.”

“Um, no?”

“Ugh. I’m so sorry babe. Jesus that’s the worst.” Ali leaned forward and gave her patient girlfriend a slow kiss. “Next time something like that happens, which I hope is never, make sure you tell me so I can make it up to you. I’m only human but I will always make it up to you Ash. Believe me, I got left high and dry enough for a lifetime and it’s awful. I don’t ever want to do that to you if I can help it.”

Ashlyn had never thought much about that part of Ali’s life with Emily. Talk about frustrating. And, except for this past weekend at the bachelorette party, Ali had always done exactly what she said she would do and made it up to her. Not that it happened all that often in the first place. And, she was sure, Ali would have made good on her weekend promise Monday night when they got home if not for her period.

“I know honey. I’m not worried about that at all. I didn’t tell you about the falling asleep because I didn’t want you to feel bad. But I promise I’ll tell you next time.”

“I still owe you from this weekend” Ali said softly. “I think I can take care of you if you can wait a few more minutes.” She gave the keeper another kiss and stroked her cheek with her thumb.

“No way, not tonight” Ashlyn kissed her quickly. “Maybe tomorrow night, if you’re feeling better, we can investigate the ‘orgasm as a cure for cramps’ theory and take it from there.”

They kissed for a few minutes and the keeper worried over Ali's bruised cheek.

“Have you ever had sex with your period before?” the brunette asked shyly.

“A couple of times. The girlfriend in college who moved in for a semester, we were pretty serious. I didn’t love her, but I thought I did at the time. I was so different when I was younger. I’m glad you met me now and not then.” Ashlyn massaged Ali’s arm and the back of her neck, gently. “Once she had a tampon in and I just avoided that specific area. She had an orgasm but it wasn’t great. But an average orgasm is still an orgasm” she winked and grinned at Ali.

“What was the other time?”

“I had my period and I took care of her and then we got in the shower and she took care of me. It could have been hot except I was nervous that she would think it was gross or something. But it had been her idea so if I had just relaxed it probably would have been great.”

“Did you have a tampon in?”

The keeper loved how curious Ali was and how unafraid to ask questions.

“Yes at the beginning but not for very long.”

“Oh.”

Ali had never considered having sex while she had her period. She had given Willem, her German fling, a blow job once while she had her period but that was it. She had no problem taking care of Ashlyn tomorrow night, in fact, she was looking forward to it. And she thought she could handle Ashlyn taking care of her as long as she had a tampon in. But she would have to think about how much else she would be comfortable with. They’d been having sex for almost four months and she was surprised they hadn’t had something like this happen before. They must have just been lucky with their schedules, both travel and monthly.

“You ok in there?” Ashlyn asked and kissed the tip of her nose. “Lots to process, I see from the look on your pretty face.” She moved some hair away from Ali’s bruised cheek. “Don’t worry about any of it baby. Let’s just see what happens. If we don’t like it, we’ll stop. No worries. Ok?” 

Ali kissed her again, deeply. “You’re the best girlfriend in the whole world Ash. I love you so much.”

They re-positioned themselves with Ali rolling over onto her other side and Ashlyn spooning her from behind. Ali pulled her keeper’s hand up high to her chest, making sure it stayed away from her abdomen. Ashlyn kissed the brunette’s shoulder and they both fell asleep within minutes.

//

Ashlyn did not sleep well for very long though. She woke up three or four times during the night. Her tattoo was bothering her and she had to disentangle herself from Ali, who must have been feeling a little better because she clung to her keeper like an octopus, so she could get up and tend to it. When she came back to bed at 7am Ali was awake and waiting for her. The first time she had woken up and gotten out of bed Ali realized that she hadn’t even asked the blonde about her new tattoo. They had spent a few minutes talking about it and the brunette apologized for being a terribly selfish girlfriend. At 7am Ali knew there was nothing she could do to help Ashlyn with the discomfort from her fresh ink but she wanted to take her mind off of it. She told her that it was a one-way transaction and to just lay back and relax. Then she gave Ashlyn two big orgasms with a short break in between where she inspected the angry looking lady liberty and told the keeper, honestly, how much she loved it. They both went back to sleep for another hour before Ali got up for the day.

“So what did Mrs. Riley say? Were you able to talk to her last week?” Ali asked as she put a plate of pancakes with sausages in front of her tired girlfriend and kissed her on top of her head.

“Yeah, Thursday morning I caught her just as she was leaving.” Ashlyn took a sip of coffee and closed her eyes for a minute. “She said her mom would be happy to talk to me but that she had good days and bad days so there was no guarantee that she would even remember who Grandma Lilian was while I was there.”

Ali set her own plate down across from the blonde and took her seat as Ashlyn started to hungrily eat her breakfast. The brunette knew the nursing home that Mrs. Riley’s mother lived in. She had sold the replacement windows in it a couple of years prior when the building had been upgraded and brought up to code. It freaked Ali out a little bit to know that she probably had been with Mrs. Cummings measuring the window in her room. What a small world.

“She said her mom’s better in the mornings and I should just be patient and not expect too much.” The blonde drank some more coffee. “Oh and she likes to play cards.”

Ashlyn finished washing the frying pan and set it in the drying rack as Ali came downstairs, freshly showered.

“Awww” the keeper whined when she saw the beautiful brunette with her hair still damp.

Ali smiled and tilted her head as she walked over and kissed the blonde’s lips. “What’s with you?” she asked as Ashlyn pulled her into a hug.

“I was kind of hoping we could shower together and I could thank you for my amazing wake up this morning” she wagged her eyebrows and kissed her girlfriend again.

“I’m still not sure about that” Ali answered honestly. “And besides, you can’t get your leg wet yet, right?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot.” Ashlyn looked down and shook her head. “Boy do we have great timing or what? You have your period and I have a new tattoo that’s being fussy” she chuckled as she said it. “Way to waste a perfectly awesome roommate-free house.”

“Just be patient love, we can go to my house any time we want to be all alone” Ali said and patted the blonde on her butt as she moved across the kitchen towards the mudroom.

“Are you leaving?”

“Just getting some work stuff from the truck. I thought I’d work from here today if that’s ok.” Ali stopped in the passageway between the kitchen and the mudroom to look at her girlfriend. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“You know I don’t mind baby. I always want you here. You know that.” She walked over and held Ali by her hips as she gave her a slow kiss. “I wish you’d just move in with me once and for all. Be done with all this schlepping things around...”

“Is that the only reason, because it would be more convenient?” Ali interrupted, starting to get annoyed.

Truthfully, the brunette was just waiting for Ashlyn to ask her. She had her own timeline, not before their six month anniversary in August, but she knew if the keeper asked her she wouldn’t be able to say no. The trouble was that Ashlyn had asked her three different times, counting the current one, in half-assed semi-serious ways and she was sick of it. Moving in together might be something casual to Ashlyn but it was anything but to Ali.

“What? No, of course not...”

“It sure sounds like the only reason.”

Ashlyn saw the anger, or was it hurt, behind the brunette’s eyes and knew she had screwed up again.

“Ashlyn, I’m not mad. I don’t feel great and I’m a little crabby so your timing isn’t the best” she sighed and gave the blonde a small smile. “But I need you to listen to me now” she said and looked at her keeper’s concerned face softly. She waited until the blonde took a breath and met her eyes again before continuing. “Don’t ask me again unless you’re serious.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ali's cramp story and situation is taken from real life experience. It's included now because of future story developments. Planting the seed. Pun not intended. lol


	16. June is Busting Out All Over

Over the course of the next six weeks Ashlyn visited Mary Cummings, Mrs. Riley’s 85 year old mother, every few days. Mrs. Riley went with her on the first visit, to introduce the blonde and make sure the nursing home staff knew Ashlyn would be spending some time there over the next month or so. The keeper tried to visit in the morning because she saw for herself the difference it made in the old woman’s attitude and overall clarity. Mrs. Cummings didn’t have alzheimer’s, not officially. But she was old and forgetful and not in great health. She wasn’t able to take care of herself anymore and needed assistance. She was a stubborn and proud woman, just as Grandma Lilian had been. Ashlyn shuddered when she thought about her grandmother living in the nursing home as Mrs. Cummings did. There was nothing wrong with the place, there really wasn’t. Ashlyn had spent enough time there to see firsthand that the staff really did care and really did do their best to take care of the residents and keep them as happy and upbeat and motivated as possible. It was no easy task either. The nursing home was clean and well-lit and organized and well-staffed. The keeper had heard horror stories about some nursing homes that were literal hell holes. She was very glad that Mrs. Cummings wasn’t in a place like that. If she really thought hard about it, the blonde could see the tremendous benefits a nursing home offered older people who lived alone. Companionship was the biggest and most obvious plus, but additionally, the residents’ actual health increased when they got the food and medication and care they needed. It was never a cheerful place to be but it certainly wasn’t close to the worst place to live either.

Ashlyn quickly became a favorite visitor of most of the residents as well as the staff. Her primary goal was to find out as much as she could about her grandmother, but she found it hard to shut out everything else around her while she was there. Her easy smile and warm, friendly personality made the residents open up to her, sometimes more than she bargained for. She had a couple of the older gentlemen become quite friendly with her. She knew the residents, for the most part, were of the age where homosexuality made them uncomfortable or downright hostile. Many of them were in their 80s and 90s and had been born and raised in a time where racism and sexism were the norm. Ashlyn heard one old woman yelling the ‘n’ word at an aide who was trying to help her get to the bathroom. Rather than have that black aide help her to the toilet, the resident peed her pants in her wheelchair and then blamed the poor aide, all the while using the vilest language Ashlyn had ever heard. The blonde just decided it was easier to keep some things to herself than to rile up any ill feelings in the old folks she encountered.

Sometimes Ashlyn brought Ali with her and sometimes they even lugged Apollo, Ali’s father’s dog, along for the visit. He was a huge hit. Some of the residents, not more than ten out of the two hundred that lived there, were afraid of dogs so they didn’t like having him around. But the vast majority of folks flocked to him like moths to a flame. Apollo was a huge great dane and he was a complete teddy bear. It was during Apollo’s first visit that Mrs. Cummings came to life and remembered Lilian Burnham. 

While Ashlyn focused on Mrs. Cummings, Ali spent time with Mrs. Riley. The housekeeper didn’t have too much to add but she was good enough to talk with her siblings to find out what they remembered about their mother’s friend Lilian. The keeper was grateful for Ali’s help. As usual, they made a great team. 

The other project that Ashlyn worked on during those same six weeks was Ali’s office upstairs on the third floor. Niki was a do-it-yourself carpenter and a pretty talented one. She had learned most of what she knew from her grandfather and uncle who had a small cabinet making business when she was younger. They had taught her and one of her brothers the basics and a few advanced concepts, but Niki had learned the rest on her own through trial and error and practice. Ashlyn enlisted her good friend’s help to build and finish and sometimes just assemble the furniture for Ali’s office. Whitney helped too, of course, but only if it wouldn’t arouse too much suspicion. She ran interference more often than not. Ideally, the keeper wanted to find and buy some antiques for her girlfriend because she knew how much she appreciated them. But that wasn’t convenient with the blonde’s schedule and time frame. She wanted to have the office done so she could surprise Ali with it at her big birthday party at the end of July. Niki was going to build the L shaped desk and the vertical cubbies for the rolled up sets of plans that Ali used for her projects. They were about three feet tall and one foot wide square hollow columns made of wood that Ali could store the plans in. Like big umbrella stands. Knowing the brunette she would probably alphabetize them for better organization. Ashlyn had found an antique plan table listed online and bought that. Getting it picked up and brought upstairs to the third floor without Ali knowing was not easy. The keeper had never been a huge fan of Ali’s Wednesday nights with Sydney before then. But for those six weeks she looked forward to them like never before. Niki also built shelves along the interior wall of the room for the brunette’s shot glass collection. That was a risk and Ashlyn wasn’t sure Ali would want them in the office with her or not, but she took the gamble anyway. She and Niki worked in the future art studio room on the other side of the third floor. That was their cover. They moved things into the office as they completed them and covered them with sheets so they blended in with the other things from storage that were still in that space and covered with sheets and drop cloths.

Niki and Molly would come to visit with Noah and Ashlyn and Niki would head up to the art studio to keep working on it. Ali was perfectly happy getting to know Molly better and spending more time with baby Noah. Molly and Ali’s dad were the only ones who knew about Ashlyn’s plan. She had needed to store the filing cabinets that she bought for a few days until she could get them upstairs the next Wednesday night so she called Ken Krieger who had been happy to help. His garage became the temporary holding area for pieces that Ashlyn found or bought until she could get them up to the third floor. Ken had even helped Niki, Whitney and Ashlyn get the plan table up there. Ashlyn wasn’t sure what she would have done without him for that one.

Meanwhile Ali had Sydney’s wedding the week after the Breakers had their week off. The wedding took place two weeks after the bachelorette party and it had been absolutely beautiful. They held it at the Turner Hill Golf Club in Ipswich. It was an old estate that had been converted into a modern golf club and active living community. The biggest project Ali had ever sold had been a large portion of the new homes and townhomes and condominiums that made up the living community on the property. She and Sydney had grown up in Ipswich but they didn’t know much about Turner Hill. It wasn’t until Ali worked on the project two years earlier that she learned about it and told her best friend. The old mansion that had been the centerpiece of the estate was still there and had been renovated several years ago. It was now a very popular location for events and weddings. There was a picturesque pond in front of the mansion with beautiful gardens surrounding it with trellises and a gazebo. There were even beautiful geese in the pond.

The rehearsal dinner was in Boston on Friday night, June 10th so Ashlyn had to miss most of it. The Breakers had a game that night against her old team, the Washington Spirit. They had actually earned a point by playing to a 1-1 tie. It was always hard to get excited about a tie but the Breakers could get excited about the point, that was for sure. They were 1-6-1 for the season with four total points, still at the bottom of the table. Ashlyn apologized to the fans for not signing as long as she usually did and then had to deal with all the catcalls and teasing from her teammates after she showered and changed into some dressier clothes for the end of the rehearsal dinner. She was already getting roasted daily for the incident at the lesbian club in Provincetown. It had splashed all over social media and anybody who followed women's soccer had seen an assortment of different pictures of Ashlyn being manhandled. The one the Breakers captain, Whitney Engen, had used as a teachable moment for the team was a blown up picture of Ashlyn’s lipstick smeared face as it was pulled to the side by the woman who had pulled her hair towards the end of the scene. You couldn’t see the woman but you saw her fistful of the keeper’s blonde hair and the grimace on her face very clearly. If you looked closely you could just barely see Ashlyn’s ripped shirt at the edge of the photo underneath her hair. Ashlyn had posted two side by side pictures of the event on her Instagram after the episode became so popular the very next day. The first picture was from earlier in the evening and was a nice selfie that she had taken with a perfectly respectful fan. The second picture was of an angry keeper as her shirt was grabbed from one side and her arm was pulled from the other. Her caption had simply said ‘Do the right thing. Don’t be an asshole. #boundariespeople #dontpokethebear #ifyourenicetomeillbenicetoyou’

By the time Ashlyn got to the restaurant the dinner was over but everybody was still there drinking and dancing and having a good time. The rehearsal dinner was supposed to be the time for the two families to meet, in some cases for the first time, and get to know each other better. The only reason Ashlyn had been invited was because Ali was in the wedding party. The four other bridesmaids were all there, Jessie, Carm, Erica and Liz, with their dates too. The keeper had been particularly touched to learn that Ali’s parents were coming to the wedding and that Ken was going to walk Sydney down the aisle. Her family may not have been perfect, not by a longshot, but Ashlyn had a relationship with her dad and knew he would do his best to help her with anything he could. She couldn’t imagine what it had been like to grow up without a dad. She’d never thought about it before. Sydney always said that her mom was a better dad than most of the dads she had ever come across but that still had to be hard for both of them. 

“Hey beautiful, you lost?” Ashlyn heard from behind her as she stood just inside the restaurant getting her bearings. She felt Ali’s strong arms hug her from behind and then move around to her front.

“Hi” the keeper said sweetly, loving the feeling of the brunette’s touch. It was times like that, where she was surprised by Ali, that all she could come up with were simple one-word responses in a silly little voice. She leaned down and kissed her gorgeous girlfriend carefully on the lips, not wanting to mess up her lipstick.

“You’re sweet” Ali acknowledged the thoughtful gesture. “Now give me a real one” she said as she brought their lips together in a real but chaste kiss.

“You look amazing Ali.” 

The keeper lifted her hand up high and the brunette twirled once for her, smiling shyly. She wore a beautiful close-fitting red dress with a hemline just above the knee and a high, gathered neckline with a mostly open back. Her shoulders were exposed and there was one thin strip of material that ran across the middle of her back to keep things decent. She had matching red heels and a tiny little red clutch purse in her hand. Her hair was back in a low bun at the base of her neck and she wore pearl drop earrings that hung about an inch below her ears. A couple of bracelets and rings and her special smoky eye make-up finished the look.

Ashlyn wore nice, dark jeans with a checkered button up shirt with periwinkle blue checks against the white dress shirt. She had a medium-grey suit jacket on with a periwinkle blue pocket square and slim doc martins on her feet. She wore a big silver watch and diamond stud earrings and the glass necklace Ali had given her for her birthday. Some of the pieces of glass were the same color blue as her shirt and pocket square. Her make-up was light and her hair was up in a tight bun only because it was still wet when she raced out of the locker room after the game.

“Thank you honey. You look good enough to eat” Ali answered and winked at her sexy keeper. “Congratulations on the point tonight babe. Better than none, right?” She wrapped her arm around Ashlyn’s bicep and walked with her through the restaurant and into the private room. 

Ashlyn met Sydney’s mom, Sandi, and Dom’s family and spent time with Ali’s mom and dad as well. The other bridesmaids greeted her warmly and then launched into a dramatic re-telling of the incident at the lesbian club from the bachelorette party. Everybody reacted with shock as the story unfolded. Carm found some pictures from Ashlyn’s Instagram tag on her phone and showed Deb who was horrified. Sydney had arranged for Ashlyn’s plate to be held for her until she arrived and she happily ate amidst all the hubbub surrounding ‘the incident’ as it had come to be called. An hour later, Deb and Sydney were talking with Sandi and another family friend from Ipswich when they saw Ali lead Ashlyn to the dance floor. They all saw the way the two women looked at each as they started to sway together to the slow, romantic song. They spoke softly to each other, Ali’s head on Ashlyn’s shoulder, and then they both threw their heads back and laughed out loud. 

Deb gave Sydney a side-hug as they both watched the dance floor. “She’s the one isn’t she Syd? She’s going to be my daughter-in-law one day isn’t she?” Deb got choked up as she spoke.

“Well you didn’t hear it from me” Sydney began, hugging Deb back. “But yes she is Momma D.”

The discussion on the dance floor that had caused the laughing outburst was about the song they were dancing to, ‘At Last’ by Etta James.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but this is our song, right?” Ashlyn asked as she took Ali in her arms and started moving with her to the music.

“I’d love that, but are you sure?”

Ashlyn then told Ali how, in her opinion, the song had saved their first date and possibly their entire future. She explained how she was so nervous that she got all in her head about how awkward the beginning of the date had been and she obsessed about how to fix it the whole time the song had played. Then, when it had finished and Ali began talking about how much it meant to her Ashlyn realized that she had no idea what song had just been playing. That’s when they laughed out loud together on the dance floor.

“Well then I’d say it’s absolutely our song. Without a doubt babe” Ali agreed, still chuckling, as she held Ashlyn tighter.

The wedding, the next afternoon, was one of the most beautiful that Ashlyn had ever seen. Granted, a lot of the ones she had been to around Satellite Beach were not of the same size and scale. Sydney looked beautiful and Dom looked happier than Ashlyn had ever seen him. Everything had gone off without a hitch and according to plan. Dom’s annoying step-mother was just as painful as Sydney had said she was but not even she could ruin the day. And Ali was radiant. Ashlyn, Whitney and Kristie were seated several rows behind the Kriegers for the ceremony. Deb and Kyle were up near the very front with the family. Sydney told Ashlyn that she figured she’d have more fun back there with her friends than up in the front with her in-laws and the keeper had thanked her profusely. Everybody turned around to face the back of the room when the bridesmaids started walking down the aisle towards the altar. When it was Ali’s turn, just before the bride, Ashlyn couldn’t take her eyes off of the beautiful brunette. Kyle snapped a picture from his spot and nudged his mom to make sure she saw the way the keeper adored Ali. But there was no need. Deb had already seen the love on Ashlyn’s face for herself.

When Ali got to the front and turned around to watch her best friend and her own father walk down the aisle the emotion of the day finally hit her and she started to cry. She didn’t completely lose it but she just couldn’t handle the sight of her dad walking Sydney down the aisle. Sydney was as close to a Krieger as you could be without the actual DNA and Ali had never felt the connection any stronger than right at that moment. As Ken presented Sydney to Dom he gave him the Krieger glare, protective, as always, of his little girl’s fatherless best friend. Dom hesitated for a second, rattled by the look, but recovered quickly. Ken kissed Sydney on the cheek and winked at his own crying daughter before he took his seat next to his ex-wife who was also crying.

Sydney had clearly decided that they were going to ‘love, honor and respect’ each other but not ‘obey’. Dom, of course, had agreed without any hesitation back when they made those decisions. But during the ceremony he made everybody laugh when it was his turn and he asked if he could put the word ‘obey’ back into his vows.

“We may as well be honest, right from the get-go” he quipped as his bride giggled next to him.

Ali gave an emotional and heartfelt maid of honor toast at the reception. There were only a handful of people in the big room who knew just what Sydney and Ali had been through together and what they meant to each other. And that handful of people cried as Ali thanked and teased her best friend before wishing her all the love and happiness she deserved. She also singled out Dom and gave him the praise he had earned and rightfully deserved.

“I can’t imagine finding a better guy to marry than Dom. It’s a good thing I don’t have to” she joked as she finished her toast. “Here’s to Syd and Dom! The happy couple!”

The rest of the night was one of the best parties Ali had ever attended. Her family was there. Her best friend was happy and beautiful. All of her best friends were there. And the love of her life was there with her for all of it. They ate and drank and danced and laughed together all night long, barely more than an arm’s length separating them. As they fell into bed early the next morning, drunk, happy and exhausted, in the big hotel room with Whitney and Kristie passed out on the pullout couch, Ali kissed Ashlyn’s neck as they snuggled together. A few minutes later she whispered against her sleeping keeper’s skin.

“I’m going to marry you one day babe. And I can’t wait.”

//

Ali’s mom was staying through the next week to visit old friends and mostly to catch up with her daughter on the exciting time in her life. She had planned to stay with Ali at her house in Stoneham, as she usually did. But the brunette wanted her mom to see Ashlyn’s house and spend time there during her visit. They could walk down to the beach and Ali could try to show her why she loved the house so much. The Breakers had an away game that week and would be travelling to Chicago on Friday morning. Deb’s flight home to Miami was Sunday afternoon. And Kyle had taken a couple of days off to basically do the same thing. He would be taking the train back to New York City Tuesday evening.

So Sunday, after everybody dragged their hungover butts down to the brunch Sydney had arranged to thank her closest friends and family for coming to her wedding, Deb and Kyle piled their stuff into Ali’s truck and drove to the big old house. Ashlyn was thrilled to have them stay at her house and Whitney, as always, was cool with it too. The keeper gave Deb the tour of the house, just as she had done for Kyle back in April. She told her what she knew about the history of the house, much of which she had learned from Ali’s research, and what she remembered from spending time there as a young girl. She glossed over the third floor, not wanting to draw any attention to what was going on in either room. As they stood in the third floor hall about to go back downstairs Deb pulled the keeper aside.

“I know about the plan” Deb whispered.

“What plan?” Ashlyn tried to play dumb.

“Honey, Ken told me. We were married and she’s our daughter. We tell each other things.” She chuckled. “But don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” She gave the blonde a big hug. “And I think it’s a wonderful idea and she’ll love it.”

The next day, Monday, the three Kriegers lazed in the sunny family room and relaxed for most of the morning. Mrs. Riley was there and they tried to stay out of her way. Ali made some work phone calls and put out a few fires before making lunch and then heading to the beach with her mom and brother. They talked about Sydney’s wedding and what a great job Ken had done and how adorable Ali and Ashlyn were together. Kyle found the picture he had taken of Ashlyn watching Ali walk down the aisle and showed it to his sister. She looked at the picture and grinned from ear to ear explaining that she felt the exact same way about the keeper. They sat on the beach at the end of Ashlyn’s street in beach chairs at the edge of the water with the ocean licking at their feet. Ali sat between her mother and her brother and was happy to have them both with her.

“I’ve never felt anything like this before. I love her more than I ever thought was possible” she tried to explain. 

“You should have seen them at the 4th of July last summer mom” Kyle said shaking his head and grinning. “They were so obviously smitten but trying so hard not to be. Oh, it was silly and romantic and wonderful at the same time” Kyle raved.

“I saw the same thing on New Year’s Eve” Deb joined in. “You don’t have to tell me.” She made sure her daughter was listening before going on. “I thought this one was going to faint when Ashlyn kissed her at midnight! It was the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.”

“You saw that?” Ali asked, shocked and a little embarrassed.

“Well honey, you were sitting right next to me, of course I saw it. You sat there like a statue for about ten minutes afterwards trying to figure out what to do” Deb giggled and Kyle cracked up.

“What’d she do? What’d she do?” he asked excitedly.

“She closed her mouth because her jaw was on the floor and then she curled up next to her girl in the chair and they finished watching the fireworks together like that. It was so sweet.” Deb reached over and patted Ali’s arm affectionately.

“Oh, so cute. That’s the same as the 4th of July, only no kiss.”

“Alright honey, so are you as happy as you seem to be? I’ve never seen you so happy.” Deb started to get emotional. “It makes me so happy.”

“Aw mom, yeah, I’m very happy” she said, holding her mother’s hand. “We’re very happy and I feel like this is it, for both of us. It’s like we both realize this is different than anything else we’ve ever known. I don’t mean to sound dramatic...”

“Yeah, quit stealing my job. It’s the only thing I’m really really good at” Kyle joked and they all laughed.

“That’s not true honey, you’re good at lots of things...” Deb started but Kyle cut her off.

“I was just kidding mom” he laughed. “So have you talked about future plans? Are you moving in with her? Is she moving in with you? When are you going to start having babies?”

“Geez Kyle, we’ve only been dating for four months! You want me to propose or something already?” Ali said and rolled her eyes at her brother. “Gimme a break.”

“Well, what are your plans Alex?” Deb asked this time so Ali knew she couldn’t just gloss over it.

The brunette sighed before she answered. “I think she’s going to ask me to move in soon and I’m going to say yes.”

Deb squealed in excitement and Kyle clapped his hands loudly.

“Do you think she’ll ask you at the 4th of July? Are you going to Rob’s party again?” Kyle asked in a rush.

“I’m not sure when, but soon. She’s half-jokingly asked me, like, three times already and I finally told her a couple of weeks ago not to ask me again unless she was really serious.”

“Good for you honey” Deb replied, nodding approvingly.

“So what deadline did you put on it for yourself?” Kyle asked, giving his sister a knowing look.

“What do you mean, deadline?” Deb asked, confused.

“Your daughter, I’ll guarantee you, has put some arbitrary date down as the day she will move in with her and not a day sooner.” He focused his attention on Ali again.

“It’s not an arbitrary date...” she started.

“See!! I told you she had a date set. So what it is?”

“Six month anniversary, not any sooner” Ali answered, annoyed that her brother knew her so well.

“Well that’s just around the corner isn’t it? Early February means early August then, right?” Deb worked out the timing.

“Yes, that’s it. So if she asks me I’m going to say yes, but not until the six month mark” Ali clarified.

“What are you going to do with your house?” Deb asked.

“Sell it I guess. It’s crazy to keep paying the mortgage there when I’m always here. I could buy her a dining room table with one month’s saved mortgage for God’s sake.”

“Yeah, what’s the deal with that? It’s the only room in the house that’s empty” Kyle inquired.

“She doesn’t want to buy one just to buy one. She wants to find the right one and then buy it” the brunette explained.

“I think she’s absolutely right” Deb offered. “Wait until you find the right one. You girls have plenty of places to eat in that huge house.”

They spent another hour talking about the big old house and selling Ali’s house and all those details. Finally Deb and Kyle realized that they had done all of the talking and Ali hadn’t said anything in a while.

“You ok there miss thing? You’re pretty quiet” Kyle poked her in the ribs and made her squeal and giggle.

“Knock it off, jerk. I’m fine. I just can’t believe we’re sitting here together talking about selling my house because I’m going to move in with the love of my life” Ali paused to get her voice under control. “I’m just so happy I can’t believe it.”

“Can I tell you something Alex?” Deb asked her daughter quietly. “And you just keep quiet over there” Deb shot a glance towards Kyle.

“Sure mom” Ali said and looked at her mother sitting next to her.

“I’ve noticed a change in you honey, a good one. I started to see it on New Year’s Eve and then I saw it at Easter and now again this visit.” She paused looking for the right words to use. “You’re more like your old self than I’ve seen you in years baby girl. Does it feel that way to you too?”

“It’s so funny that you say that mom. I just had the same conversation with Syd at her bachelorette party. I told her I was starting to feel like my old self again.” She grinned at her mother and then turned her head to look at Kyle too. “It feels amazing. I honestly never thought I’d feel like this again, feel normal again like everything was ok. You know?”

“You deserve the best Alex, the very best. And it sure seems like Ashlyn treats you like the amazing person you are.” Deb had tears in her eyes and her voice cracked. “After everything you went through to get here...I’m just so proud of you honey.” 

The tears rolled down Deb’s cheeks as she reached for her daughter. In an instant she thought back over the past fourteen years. Penn State, hospitals and ICUs, Germany and the ocean that separated them during the scariest time of their lives. BU, Emily, fake happily ever after, the tiny house that sheltered and protected her for four solitary years. She saw blow after blow knock her daughter down and, for a time, it seemed like her little warrior would not have the strength to get back up. But slowly, painfully slowly, her Alexandra grew stronger and stronger until she was finally able to rise up again. Deb could not have been any more proud of her daughter and that pride and gratitude and love and admiration filled her up and leaked out of her eyes onto her face.

“Aww mom, I love you so much” Ali mumbled as she got out of her chair and hugged her mother tightly.

Once the emotions had subsided, Deb begged Ali to tell her about the keeper. She was already a fan, anybody who so clearly appreciated her daughter the way Ashlyn did was ok in Deb’s book, but she wanted to understand her better. The brunette finally relented and, with timely interjections from Kyle, told her mother their story. She was honest but discreet. She had always been close with her mother but never crossed that line of sharing too many romantic details. Deb appreciated her discretion and was thankful that she was still willing to share so much of her life with her mother.

Finally, at around 4pm, they were getting ready to leave the beach and walk back up to the big old house when Ashlyn and Whitney joined them. They had just gotten home from training and were tired and sweaty and ready for a dip in the ocean. It was early June and the Atlantic Ocean was still very cold. Some New Englanders wouldn’t go into the ocean until August when the water had warmed up a little bit. It was never going to be warm like the Florida ocean, but June was still very cold. Ali stood up to kiss her keeper hello. Whitney dropped her bag and took off her t-shirt and started walking towards the water in her bikini.

“You’re not going in there are you?” Kyle asked incredulously. “It’s fucking freezing.”

The defender just kept walking, thinking it couldn’t be that much colder than the Pacific Ocean she had grown up swimming in.

Ashlyn dropped her bag and her sunglasses as Ali watched Whitney and shook her head. 

“She’s gonna freeze her butt off” the brunette agreed.

Deb looked up at Ashlyn and the keeper winked at her behind Ali’s back as she took her t-shirt off too. Kyle stood up and took a few steps towards the water wondering if it really was warm enough to swim in yet.

“Babe, you should tell her how cold it is...” Ali started but was interrupted by her girlfriend picking her up and throwing her over her strong shoulder. Ali screamed and laughed and screamed some more as Ashlyn started walking them quickly towards the ocean. She would have run but she didn’t want to hurt her beautiful brunette. Kyle laughed hysterically and ran to take Ali’s sunglasses from her as she laughed and smacked Ashlyn on her butt, still hopeful that it was all a joke. He ran two steps back and tossed both his and Ali’s sunglasses to Deb who just chuckled and shook her head. He caught up with them and joined Whitney just as she stepped into the cold water and screamed.

“Come on! Let’s do it!” he yelled over the defender’s continued scream. “We’ll all get pneumonia together!”

“Ashlyn Michelle Harris don’t you dare put me in that water!” Ali yelled and giggled as she saw the hard wet sand below her under her keeper’s fast moving feet. She smacked the blonde’s butt to get her attention and Ashlyn smacked hers right back and gave it a little squeeze.

“Too late! Fuck that’s cold!” Ashlyn yelled as the water splashed up around her knees.

A few more big steps and she dove into the waist deep water with Ali still over her shoulder laughing and yelling. It wasn’t even a real complaint anymore. The brunette knew what was going to happen and was secretly ok with it. She loved feeling so close to the blonde, even in that ridiculous situation.

All four of them cursed and exclaimed how cold the water was as they popped right back up, freezing and exhilarated.

“See Whit, I told you we didn’t need the ice bath today. This is just as cold” Ashlyn shouted to her best friend.

“So much colder than at home. Shit! It’s cold” Whitney yelled out loud and laughed again.

“Whooo that feels good” Kyle shouted as he treaded water, in the cold water up to his shoulders. “That’ll get the blood pumping for sure.”

“Leave it to the California girl and the Florida girl to decide it’s warm enough to go swimming” Ali joked and shook her head. “You’ll notice the three people who grew up here knew enough not to go in, right?” she teased as she treaded water near her brother.

“Well how else was I going to get you to take my ice bath with me?” Ashlyn flirted as she stood with her arms wrapped tightly around her chest in waist deep water.

“Why don’t you come over here and I’ll tell you” Ali flirted right back and laughed at the horrified look on her girlfriend’s face.

“But then I’d have the cold water all around me instead of just on half of me. See, that sounds like a bad idea to this Florida girl.”

Kyle and Whitney both laughed at the keeper’s sound logic. They also both knew that she would not be able to resist Ali’s enticing request for very long.

“Yes, but you’d also have me” Ali cheesed as her teeth started to chatter a little bit.

“Oh just get it over with you big baby” Kyle teased as he turned and swam several strokes out into the ocean, leaving the group behind.

“Yeah, this was your idea in the first place Harris” Whitney chimed in as she started walking parallel to the beach in waist deep water, actually making use of the ice bath she was in.

Ashlyn barely heard either of them. She was lost in Ali’s eyes, four feet away from her. They were light and playful and the warm sun bounced off the tiny waves and lit them and the rest of her face with a shimmering effect. The brunette licked her lips and winked at the keeper seductively, despite the increasing cold. If Ashlyn didn’t hurry up Ali was going to have to give in or go swim to get her body moving and warmed up. Finally the impasse was broken and the blonde dove under the water towards Ali. She kicked underwater and came up right in front of her bikini-clad girlfriend, pulling her close and kissing her deeply. Ashlyn moved them a little closer to shore, as the kiss continued, so she could stand in chest deep water. Ali wrapped her powerful legs around the blonde’s waist and her arms around her shoulders and held their bodies close together.

“Finally” Ali breathed out as they broke the kiss for air. She loved the feel of Ashlyn’s hands on her ass. Her body was cold enough that they caused a tingling sensation wherever they touched her skin. They looked into each other’s eyes, barely a foot apart, and grinned.

“You’ve gotta learn to use your powers wisely baby” Ashlyn said softly as she shivered. “You know I can’t resist my siren’s call.”


	17. Orlando

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning

The rest of Deb’s visit was wonderful. She loved the house and she loved what a gracious hostess Ashlyn was. It was obvious to her that it was already just as much Ali’s house as it was the keeper’s. She figured that must have happened when Ali moved in to take care of Ashlyn after her shoulder surgery in January. She could see her daughter’s taste in most of the décor and furniture. Not all of it, certainly the house felt like Ashlyn, but there was a lot of her Alex in a house that didn’t belong to her. 

After Kyle left Tuesday evening Ali had gone back to working in the mornings so she could spend time with her mom in the afternoons and evenings. The schedule worked out great. Deb caught up with and visited many of her old friends each morning and had lunch with a different group each day. In the afternoons they shopped or walked the beach and talked. Ali filled Deb in on Lilian’s story, as much as they had been able to find out, and mother was just as intrigued as daughter. When Ashlyn and Whitney got home from training they would gather in the kitchen and compare days as Ali and Deb made dinner for all of them. Deb kept trying to fatten them up while Ali kept adjusting the menu so it was delicious and healthy for the athletes at the same time. Whitney loved to watch them cook and Thursday night Deb kicked Ali out of the kitchen and gave Whitney a turn to assist.

When they had finished dinner and cleaned up, the women played games and Deb and Ali had drinks. It was Deb’s vacation after all. They played cards and the Mexican Train Game and they even taught Deb how to play Settlers of Catan. Deb said she felt just like she was back in her old sorority from college.

“Enjoy this time in your lives ladies, it only happens once. Before you know it you’ll be married and have little babies to take care of. And that’s all wonderful too, don’t get me wrong. I’m just saying this time now is special. Thank you for letting me be a part of it this week.”

//

The rest of June flew by with two away games for the Breakers. They were both losses. 0-3 against Chicago on June 18th and then, the low-point of the season, was a 1-7 loss against Western New York on June 24th. That game had been absolutely horrible. Ashlyn had never wanted to walk off of a pitch mid-match before but she had been tempted to that night. The team was starting to come apart. Maybe the new coach’s system wasn’t right for everybody. He had told the team that they would continue to tweak the roster throughout the season and that made everybody nervous. He traded away Stephanie McCaffrey to Chicago and that surprised a lot of fans but she hadn’t really played well and didn’t seem to fit into the new scheme. McCall Zerboni wasn’t happy being away from her family so she was traded back to Western New York. Changes were happening and everybody was a little bit unsettled. New players from the coach’s old team in Liverpool were signed. Kristie Mewis had been trying to work through an ankle injury all season long and it was only getting worse. Maybe everybody wasn’t as on board as they needed to be. Whatever it was it had to change, fast. Whitney called a players only meeting as soon as the team got back home. Only time would tell if it had helped or not. 

Ashlyn was as frustrated as she had ever been on a soccer pitch. And the Breakers were in the middle of their longest stretch of road games. They lost the two games at the end of June and then lost the next two games as well making them 0-4 on their road trip. At least the two July games were competitive and the scores more indicative of what the team was actually capable of. They lost 0-2 at Seattle on July 2nd and then 1-2 at Orlando on July 10th. They were 1-10-1 so far for the season and they had only scored a grand total of 4 goals. The offense was an absolute mess. Even Kyah Simon, international world class player for Australia, looked out of sorts on the pitch.

The low point for Ashlyn had been the Orlando game. When she had heard during the offseason that the league was expanding and the new team was going to be in her hometown she was excited. She was excited for the league and for Orlando because she knew there were bigtime soccer fans there that would support a new women’s pro team. She was even excited, for a split second, at the thought of moving back home and playing for an extremely professional organization in front of her friends and family. It was what she had dreamed about her whole professional life. Hometown hero, Ashlyn Harris. When her agent had called her about it in October last year she had told him yes, she wanted to do it. He started to work on getting a deal done that would bring her home for the rest of her career. She didn’t really care what Hannah thought about it. But then Ali had come to Satellite Beach for her birthday and everything changed. She took one of the biggest risks of her life and told her agent to stop pursuing the Orlando trade. If she was going to have any hope for a future with Ali Krieger then she couldn’t be moving to Orlando. She needed to stay in Boston and try to win her girl. Yes, she was still technically with Hannah but she knew that would be ending soon. She just had to get the guts to leave her and Meg. Not going to Orlando was one of the toughest decisions she had ever made and she made it completely by herself. She didn’t want to run the risk of somebody telling her she was making a mistake. She already had enough of that fear in her, she didn’t need to hear it from anyone else. She had weighed her two options and made her choice. She had gone with her gut and her heart. And as much as she loved the idea of playing for her hometown team, she loved the idea of having a life with Ali even more.

She had no regrets because her wildest dream had come true and she was happier with Ali than she could ever have imagined. But to travel to Orlando that July with the kind of awful, demoralizing season the Breakers were having was a unique kind of torture for the blonde. Add to that the pressure she had put on herself to throw a big birthday party for Ali later that month, and to surprise her with her mom and brother and Tammye and Gram and Chris and Beth coming to the party too, and to complete the big surprise office for her by the time of the birthday party so she could officially ask her to move in with her, and finally, to figure out enough about Grandma Lilian’s story to be able to explain it to her family when they were there for Ali’s party... well the keeper had created one hell of a pressure-cooker for herself and she wasn’t handling it well.

The cracks started to show in mid-June but Ali had just assumed she was upset about the team’s performance and results. The truth was they were both really busy and distracted. Ali had been pre-occupied with planning and executing the perfect bachelorette party throughout the end of May. And then she had all of her maid-of-honor duties in the run-up to Sydney’s wedding the second weekend in June. Then she had her mom and Kyle visiting, which was wonderful and fun but had been a time crunch for the brunette. And work was really busy for her too. Especially with all the new sales guys crawling all over her territory, trying to take her customers and leads. In addition to all of those tangible things, she had been stressing out about moving in with Ashlyn. The last time she lived with someone it had been horrible and ended very badly. And as much as she knew that Ashlyn wasn’t Emily and that she herself wasn’t the same person she had been back then either, it made her nervous. 

Additionally, she and Ashlyn had been more distant than usual. Part of that, she knew in her head, was just because they were both busy. But even when they were together they weren’t as intimate or close as they had been. And it wasn’t just sex, although that had slowed down since the bachelorette party too. They hadn’t even tried any of the new toys they bought in Provincetown. They were still in the brown paper bag in Ashlyn’s closet. In general, their whole togetherness had shifted and moved into second position behind their daily life and work commitments. Instead of cuddling in bed and reading to each other, an activity that Ashlyn had started and Ali loved more and more, they were exhausted and just went to sleep. Instead of going to bed at the same time that Ashlyn did, Ali would keep working for an extra hour or two before sliding into bed. Instead of having a few quiet moments together in the morning before getting out of bed, Ashlyn was up early and out the door to meet Mrs. Cummings or to pick up something she had found for ‘her studio’.

They both knew that the honeymoon phase would end, it always did and that was part of what made it so special in the first place. But after five months they were struggling to connect and they were missing each other even when they were in the same room. They had a wonderful and romantic 4th of July, recreating the previous year’s holiday as much as possible. They went to Rob’s roof deck party again with Sydney and Dom and watched the fireworks together curled up in the chaise lounge and they went home and had the best sex they’d had in over a month. They both felt like they had their mojo back and that everything would go back to the way it had been before the stress of June had washed over them. But it didn’t. And four days later Ashlyn was on a plane to Orlando with her team. 

Gram and Chris saw it coming. Whitney and Niki did too. Ashlyn had been given permission by the coach to stay in Orlando an extra day and fly home on her own Tuesday morning instead of with the team on Monday. She was expected back for Tuesday afternoon’s training session. The blonde just wanted to surf her troubles away. She spent Monday on her board, bobbing in the warm ocean, thinking, waiting for waves, and worrying. Nobody could get a hold of her that day and people started to get worried. Gram knew where she was and she sent Chris out to check on her. Niki had come to the house to work on the ‘art studio’ with Ashlyn only to find her not even back from Florida yet. Niki, awesome friend that she was, went up to the third floor and got as much done as she could anyway. She talked to Whitney about it and the defender tried to reach out to Ashlyn as well but all of their attempts went unanswered. Ali had tried calling and texting her girlfriend all that day without any response. She hadn’t heard from Ashlyn since she got a quick text Sunday night after the game telling her she would talk to her soon but needed some time. Ali had assumed she meant she needed time that night, not that she needed a day or two. They were all worried. Whitney and Niki knew that their friend went through periods like that where she saw more darkness than light. But Ali hadn’t seen that side of Ashlyn before and had no idea what was going on.

Finally, at 10pm Monday night when she couldn’t handle another minute without knowing if her girlfriend was dead or alive, Ali knocked on Whitney’s door. She paced back and forth at the foot of Whitney’s bed waiting for the defender to tell her more than just ‘she’s probably fine and just taking some time to unplug’.

Whitney watched the brunette and felt sorry for her. She was also angry with Ashlyn for putting her in that position again. It wasn’t Whitney’s story to tell. It wasn’t her life or her darkness or her anything. But the longer she watched Ali pace and wring her hands the more her heart broke for her. Whitney had come to truly love her friendship with the brunette. They often saw things the same way and they had a lot of things in common. And she knew that Ali loved Ashlyn like nobody had ever loved her before. She knew that the brunette deserved better than what she was going through that day.

“Whitney, please” Ali cried out as the last bit of strength left her body. She sank to her knees and put her face in her hands as she wept.

“Al, come on” Whitney helped her to her feet and brought her over to sit with her on her bed. “It’s alright. I’m sure she’s fine” the defender soothed as she put her arm around Ali and hugged her.

“But, how do you know?” she whimpered and sniffled. 

Ali was trying to get control of herself and was embarrassed to break down in front of the defender. And she was angry. She was so angry at the keeper for putting her through the agony of not knowing. Ashlyn knew how terrible that was. Whitney held her for another minute without saying anything else.

“Please Whit, please tell me what’s going on. I can’t...I can’t take it anymore.” She wiped some of the tears off her face angrily. “If you won’t tell me I’m going to fly down there myself and then I’ll probably kill her I’m so mad at her right now.”

“I don’t blame you. I’m mad at her too.”

“But why? Is she ok?” Ali asked, lip quivering, looking right into the defender’s clear blue eyes.

Whitney let out a long sigh and closed her eyes. “Has she ever told you about how she struggles sometimes?” 

Ali sat up, relieved to finally be getting some information. She thought hard through all of the conversations she’d had with the blonde.

“Umm not really. I’ve heard her say that before though, that she struggles sometimes. But I don’t know what that means.” Ali thought some more. “Like when we were all talking about Lilian’s boys and Ash said how she wondered if...oh.” Ali stopped talking as she remembered the words Ashlyn had used:

“My mom has fought depression all her life and I have my struggles too. I wonder if Grandma Lilian was the same?”

“She struggles with depression too? Like her mom?” Ali asked as she put the pieces together.

Whitney nodded solemnly and squeezed Ali’s leg next to her. “It’s nowhere near as bad as her mom though.”

“But I’ve never even noticed anything. She’s always so happy and in a good mood” Ali said as she tried to process the new information.

“Well, she’s usually exactly that” Whitney smiled reassuringly. “And then sometimes she’s not. And every once in a while she takes a break like this to help get herself right again.”

“But what does that mean? How long of a break? Is she by herself?...”

“Al I know you have a million questions and I wish I had the answers for you. I’m sure she’ll tell you anything you want to know. All I know is that every once in a while if she gets really stressed out about something she takes some time for herself. Then she comes back and she’s better.”

“But...”

Whitney put her hand up to stop Ali in mid-question. “That’s really all I know Al. The last time she was close to this happening was last summer.”

“Did she go away then too?”

“Well, you took her to the museum or else I think she would have needed to.”

“And that weekend at my house, she said it was like playing hooky” Ali was starting to understand a little more, she hoped.

“I think this time she’s upset about the team for sure, but there’s something else too. Maybe it’s learning about Lilian. I honestly don’t know” Whitney replied.

Ali put both arms around the defender and gave her a big hug and kissed her on the cheek.

“Thank you. I know I put you in a terrible position but I was desperate and I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t put me there, Ash did” Whitney said sadly. “I’ve tried Gram a few times today but she hasn’t answered yet. Do you want to try again? It’s late enough she’s probably in for the night.”

“I’ve called her too, we’ve gotta get her a cellphone or something” Ali chuckled, finally feeling some relief after talking with the defender. She dialed Gram’s number and the old woman picked up after the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Hi Gram, it’s Ali, I’m sorry to call so late.”

“Oh honey, don’t you worry about that now. I’m sure you’re just worried about Bashy. Has she not called you yet?”

“No, she hasn’t...is she alright? Is she safe?” Ali tried to keep her voice steady but it cracked just at the end.

“Oh look at the worry she’s put you through. I should take her over my knee... I’m so sorry honey, I think she’ll be just fine. Would you like to talk to her?”

“No that’s ok. She’ll call me when she’s ready. I just needed to know she was ok. Thank you so much Gram.”

“You’re welcome honey. You try and get yourself a good night’s sleep now, you’ve probably had a very hard day. We’ll talk soon. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Gram.”

Ali ended the call and gave Whitney another hug. She thanked the defender again and walked down the hall to the master bedroom and got ready for bed. If Ashlyn needed space she could go back to her own house but she was just too tired to think about it anymore. She would figure out what to do for her keeper in the morning. She got into bed on Ashlyn’s side, she did that when she was really missing the blonde, pulled the covers up and sent Ashlyn a text before shutting off the light and closing her eyes.

Ali: I love you sweetheart. Xx  
Ashlyn:

//

In the morning the brunette spent an hour researching depression on her laptop. It was helpful and depressing at the same time. How ironic. There were so many varying degrees and variations of depression that it started to get overwhelming pretty quickly. Ali tried to focus on the basics so she could start to understand what Ashlyn might be going through. When her imagination started to get carried away she stopped. It would be better to just have the blonde explain it to her when she was ready. She got up, got ready for the day and hit the road. She had several appointments set up and piles of paperwork to do. Spinning her wheels yesterday had put her behind for the week already and it was only Tuesday. Her last appointment was later than she typically liked to schedule them but the customer had insisted on the 5pm meeting time. By the time she got back to the big old house it was almost 7pm. She didn’t know if Ashlyn would be there or not but she wanted to try and be there whenever she did come back home. She wanted to show her keeper that she wasn’t going anywhere. 

Ali put her work laptop and her big bag full of work folders on the bench in the mudroom with her purse on top. She took off her shoes and socks and enjoyed the air conditioning. It had been in the 90s and she had been hot and sweaty all day. She muted her work phone and put it down on her work bag. She checked her personal phone but there were still no messages from Ashlyn. She sighed and went into the kitchen to get something to eat.

Twenty minutes later, as she rinsed off her plate and put it in the dishwasher, she heard footsteps coming down the back stairs behind her and her heart pounded.

“You’re here” Ashlyn said so quietly that Ali barely heard her. She sounded tired and sad and amazed that Ali was standing in her kitchen.

The brunette fought back the tears at the corners of her eyes as she turned around to face the blonde. She was suddenly terrified. She didn’t know what would happen and was afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing. She tried to control her response but, after five seconds, said fuck it and just ran to her love.

“Oh Ashlyn” she said as she threw her arms around the keeper’s neck and hugged her tightly. She tried so hard to be strong but she just couldn’t do it. A million emotions swept over her and she started to cry as she held her girlfriend in her arms.

“Ali” the blonde breathed out, wrapping her arms around the brunette and pulling her in close as her own tears fell down her face. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

They hugged like that for almost ten minutes, neither wanting to let the other go. Eventually they pulled back enough to bring their lips together in a slow, meaningful kiss, messy with tears. They leaned their foreheads together and just breathed each other in for several more minutes, both still crying softly. 

“I thought I’d lost you” Ashlyn squeaked out breathlessly.

“Why would you ever think that? I’m not going anywhere Ashlyn, not without you anyway.” Ali pulled back and wiped some of the blonde’s tears away with her thumbs. She kissed both of her closed eyes and asked again, “Why did you think you’d lost me honey?”

“You weren’t here when we got home from training. And it got late and you still didn’t come home and...I’m so sorry Ali. I made you worry so much and I was such an asshole and I can’t believe I did that to you and...”

Ali kissed her lips gently, mostly to get her to slow down and breathe.

“I can’t believe you’re here. I love you so much baby” Ashlyn finished, finally bringing her eyes up to meet Ali’s.

“I love you too sweetheart” she said and kissed her tenderly again. “I just had a late appointment, that’s all. Are you alright? Can we talk now or do you need more time?”

“I’m ok. I’m better.” The keeper managed a small smile. “I need to take a shower first though, I stink from training, and then we can talk. Ok?”

“Of course but I’m coming with you. I need to shower too. I’ve been outside sweating all day.”

Ashlyn held Ali’s hand as they went up the back stairs, quietly stripped their clothes off and got into the double shower together. Neither of them meant it to be anything other than a simple shower to clean the sweat and dirt of the day from their bodies. As soon as the water started they found themselves tenderly washing each other. They were as gentle with one another as if they were bathing a newborn. Ali moved the bath pouf over Ashlyn’s skin with a reverence that moved the blonde deeply. She carefully washed the keeper’s strong arms, long legs and beautiful back. The brunette added more body wash and guided the pouf over Ashlyn’s breasts and down her taut abdomen. Ashlyn was just as delicate and loving as she washed Ali’s body in return. They watched each other carefully as they washed and rinsed their own hair, almost like they were afraid one of them would disappear if the other closed her eyes for a few seconds. 

Ali was the one who broke first. Instead of turning the water off and stepping out of the square, clear glass shower she went to the keeper and kissed her passionately. It wasn’t a hard or hurried kiss. It was deep and slow and sensual. Her tongue delved into Ashlyn’s warm and inviting mouth with tantalizing strokes and licks. The blonde returned the kiss with equal passion, sucking on Ali’s strong tongue and biting down gently. Their bodies moved against each other, smooth and slick from the water, and Ali moaned into the keeper’s mouth. Ashlyn spread her long fingers out and placed them behind Ali’s back, up near her shoulders. She flexed her fingers so there was firm pressure at her fingertips and slowly dragged both hands down the brunette’s back and over her firm ass. Ali shivered and moaned again when she felt the incredible sensation. The blonde held Ali’s ass with both hands and began kneading and massaging the strong muscles there as the brunette moved her mouth across Ashlyn’s jaw and over to her ear. She licked and nibbled her way around the perimeter of the ear and then sucked the lobe between her lips as Ashlyn whimpered softly. Nothing was hurried. Every stroke and touch and lick was deliberate and languid and completely full of love and devotion. Neither of them said anything. The only sounds were the water and their gasps and moans and sharp breaths.

Ali began sucking on the blonde’s beautiful pink nipples while her hands slowly travelled across her strong back and down to her ass. She took her time and circled Ashlyn’s breast first, licking all around it and kissing it tenderly. She slowly worked her tongue over the stiffening nipple and then closed her lips around the breast and sucked hard, loving the way the nipple hardened completely in her mouth. She duplicated the treatment on Ashlyn’s other breast while the blonde moved her leg in between Ali’s thighs. The brunette brought their lips together in another deep kiss, moaning again as she felt Ashlyn press her thigh against her aching core. They broke for air and Ali gasped when she felt the keeper take one of her breasts in her mouth, slowly sucking and nibbling on it. The brunette started to grind against Ashlyn’s thigh, methodically moving her wet pussy up and down the strong muscles. 

They were both so far gone that they couldn’t have stopped the unintentional shower sex if they had tried. The slow, steady pace and the long drawn out touches had driven them both crazy. They both had soaking wet cores and desperately needy clits. There was a built in glass shower bench in the corner and Ali pulled Ashlyn towards it and lifted one of her legs up onto it. She kissed the blonde harder and bit her bottom lip as she pulled back from the kiss. Ali licked her way down Ashlyn’s chest and stomach, trailing her hands behind and pinching her nipples. She knelt down in front of her girlfriend and licked her own lips as she spread Ashlyn’s pussy lips a little farther apart. Ali’s eyes were completely dark with desire as she looked up at the keeper and wrapped her arm around the top of her strong thigh to help keep her steady and in place. The blonde held onto Ali’s steadying arm with one hand and placed her other hand at the back of the brunette’s head. She moaned loudly when Ali licked her from the bottom of her entrance up to her clit. Ashlyn pressed Ali’s face against her clit and held it there as the brunette circled it with her tongue and then sucked in into her mouth. She sucked on it hard and flicked it with her tongue before changing to strong, broad strokes with her tongue flat over the sensitive nub. The keeper started panting and playing with her own breasts with her other hand. She held Ali’s head to her clit and yelled out in surprise and pleasure when the brunette slid her two middle fingers into her throbbing pussy.

“Oh fuck” she said and moaned loudly.

Ali moved her fingers in and out slowly at first, exploring and expanding the walls in Ashlyn’s hot center. She swirled her strong tongue around the blonde’s clit and sucked it into her mouth again, moaning as she enjoyed the taste and feel of her keeper’s wet pussy all around her nose, mouth and chin. The vibration from Ali’s moans shot through Ashlyn like an electric current, making her gasp and shudder. The brunette looked up, trying to catch the blonde’s eye. She felt her own core clinch as she watched her keeper tugging on her own breast, panting, with her head back. Ali drove her fingers harder and faster and deeper inside her girlfriend, pushing against her pulsing walls as they started to close in around them. Ashlyn released Ali’s head and tried to steady herself by putting her hand against the wall of the shower.

“Oh my God” the blonde groaned in a low voice as her orgasm approached.

“I love you Ash” Ali said and then put her tongue against her clit and moved it as fast as she could back and forth. 

She curled her fingers inside Ashlyn and after a few more flicks of her tongue the blonde came apart in her arms. She shouted Ali’s name as the orgasm took her. The blonde’s passion flooded Ali’s face and hand as her body tensed and shook, all her muscles contracting and spasming at once. She started to lose her balance and her legs got weak so the brunette helped her down to the floor to recover. She leaned her head against the wall of the shower as Ali moved next to her and softly kissed her breasts and neck, loving the way her chest was heaving. After a few minutes Ali stood up and turned the water off. She helped Ashlyn to her feet and they both stepped out of the shower together. Ali wrung her hair out and squeezed it with a towel, then wrapped the towel around her waist. She dried Ashlyn off with another towel, gently kissing her skin in random places as she went.

“That was incredible” Ashlyn said and gave her girlfriend a searing kiss that ratcheted Ali up into a whole other level of turned on. Her eyes were closed and her mouth open when the keeper broke the kiss and smirked. Ashlyn reached down and took the towel from around Ali’s waist, folded it a couple of times and placed it on the top of the bathroom vanity between the two sinks. She kissed the brunette again, swallowing her moans and walking her back towards the vanity. She turned Ali around in her arms and kissed the back of her neck as her big hands massaged her beautiful breasts from behind.

“Please don’t tease me. I’m already so fucking close” Ali begged as the keeper bent her over the vanity and placed hot, open-mouthed kisses down her gorgeous back.

“I won’t baby. I promise.”

Ashlyn could see the desperation in her eyes. They were almost black with lust and want. The slow tantalizing touches in the shower had driven her just as crazy as they had the keeper and Ali had been very very patient. Ashlyn wouldn’t make her wait any longer. She saw that Ali had leaned her elbows on the towel and she moved the brunette’s legs farther apart to open her up more. Ashlyn’s mouth watered when she saw Ali’s dripping wet pussy.

“Jesus Ali you’re fucking gorgeous.”

The blonde ran her hands down the outside of Ali’s legs and then back up the inside. She grabbed and kneaded her sexy ass for a few minutes as she knelt behind her girlfriend. She hadn’t planned on this but she simply couldn’t resist getting a taste of her delicious pussy. She moaned loudly as she pressed her face into Ali’s slick folds. The vibrations sent a wave of pleasure up the brunette’s spine. This was another new position for Ali. She typically didn’t like standing when they had sex, simply because she didn’t trust her legs to hold her up when she came. This was a big part of the reason that shower sex, receiving it anyway, wasn’t Ali’s favorite. But standing there, spread out wide and completely open in front of Ashlyn gave her a thrill she hadn’t expected. She felt totally exposed and vulnerable and it was titillating and exciting.

“Goddamn you taste amazing...mmmm...I could eat you out all day long baby.”

“Ashlyn...” It was half pleasure-filled exhale and half plea.

The blonde hungrily ate Ali out, sucking every inch of her folds and lips and entrance and clit. Ali lifted her ass up and leaned back a little more to give her keeper more access, moaning loudly into the vanity. Ashlyn flicked her clit twice with her tongue and felt Ali’s legs quiver. She was incredibly close.

“Fuck Ash yes!” Ali shouted when she felt the blonde push two fingers into her pulsing core and start thrusting fast and deep. Her walls were already starting to tighten around them but Ashlyn pushed back against them. She stood and leaned her weight against the back of Ali’s left leg as she continued to thrust, her own mound pressing up against the brunette’s sexy ass. She reached around Ali’s leg and gently found her clit. It was already nice and wet from all of Ali’s passion that was dripping down from her center. She felt Ali’s body shake as her walls started to clench down even harder on her fingers. Ali’s breathing was labored and she was sliding back and forth across the vanity on the towel in time with Ashlyn’s hard thrusts. The blonde started rubbing Ali’s clit and the brunette hissed in pleasure as she sucked in a big breath. Ali looked into the big mirror and watched her keeper fuck her from behind. She loved the hazy turned on look in Ashlyn’s eyes as she stared at the brunette’s ass, shaking with her movements. That look alone would have been enough to make her come but then the blonde looked back at her in the mirror and their eyes locked. So many unspoken things passed between them in that moment, hazy as it was. There were ‘I love yous’ and ‘I’m sorrys’ and ‘I’ve missed yous’ and ‘I won’t do it agains’. Ashlyn wanted to say something real and meaningful but it just wasn’t the time. They would talk in a few minutes, but first she would take her girl over the edge. She curled her fingers down and hit Ali’s g-spot several times with hard pressure as she increased the strength of her fingers on her clit. They didn’t take their eyes off of each other.

“Yes...Yes...Yes!!!” Ali shouted out as she came hard. Her eyes slammed shut, she was unable to keep them open even though she wanted to maintain eye contact with the keeper, and her whole body jerked violently as her orgasm overtook her. Ashlyn pulled Ali’s hips back into her and held her tightly so she didn’t hurt herself as she thrashed around on top of the vanity.

“Easy baby, easy. I’ve got you.”

Ali felt limp as she lay there, hoping her legs would keep supporting her. Ashlyn bent over her and gently covered her back in kisses and licks as she tried to catch her breath.

“God that felt good.”

“It looked good too” the keeper purred. “You are just too fucking beautiful Ali. I mean it, I can’t get over how gorgeous you are, all the fucking time.”

“I know the feeling, sexy. You’re incredible” Ali said as she opened her eyes and tried to stand up. She wobbled, her legs unsteady, and the blonde held her close from behind.

They got into bed, sitting more upright than usual, and curled up together, legs intertwined. They lazily stroked each other’s bare skin and pressed soft kisses to safe places. They both knew they needed to talk before falling asleep or before round two, depending on how the talk went, so they kept things safe.

“I love you Ali” Ashlyn started, knowing it was a feeble beginning after everything she had put the woman through over the past forty-eight hours.

“I love you too. And I think we’ve established that we’re good and nobody’s leaving anybody, right?” Ali asked seriously. She wanted to make sure Ashlyn knew that she wasn’t going to take off at the first sign of trouble. The brunette knew from dealing with her brother and the mistakes he had made during his fight with addiction, that Ashlyn had probably been beating herself up for not calling her and that guilt had compounded whatever the real problem had been for her. 

“Right” Ashlyn agreed, relieved. “I still can’t believe you’re not mad at me.”

“Oh I’m plenty mad at you but we can get to that in a little while.” Ali’s voice was level and calm but serious. “I need to know what happened and what’s going on with you first.”

“But” the blonde paused, confused. “What was that about then?” she nodded towards the master bathroom. “You sure didn’t seem mad in there.” She sat up and turned so she could see Ali’s face and really understand because she was pretty sure the brunette wasn’t somebody who had sex when she was mad. 

“I don’t really know what that was” Ali answered honestly, chewing her bottom lip as she thought. She started to feel guilty that she had let it happen. The brunette sighed and frowned as she started talking again. “It wasn’t planned, that’s for sure. I think I was just so relieved to see you...” she got choked up and fought to maintain control. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to make you feel bad.” Ashlyn silently took her hand and rubbed it slowly. “I don’t know, I just felt so overwhelmed with love...with how much I love you. It was like I needed to be sure you were really here with me or something.” She shook her head and wiped a tear about to fall from the corner of her eye. “I needed to be sure of you and feel close to you again.” She looked up cautiously at the blonde, curious what she was feeling about it.

“I get that.” Ashlyn had been listening closely and thinking about what her girlfriend had said. “I’m not trying to be funny” she started and squeezed Ali’s hand for emphasis. “But it’s kind of like when you were a kid and you did something you weren’t supposed to do and you got hurt” she looked at the brunette whose brow was furrowed as she followed along. “Your mom gives you a huge hug because she’s so glad you’re alive and then grounds you for a month because she’s so mad.” The keeper looked at Ali to make sure she had interpreted the brunette’s words correctly.

Ali smiled and shook her head, amazed at the way the blonde’s mind saw things. She got out of the bed and went to the dresser to get some pajamas. “Yes” she chuckled, “that’s pretty much it I think.”

She stepped into soft pink pajama pants, the ones with the unicorns, and pulled one of her sleep tanks over her head. 

“Will you toss me some please?” Ashlyn asked and Ali obliged and then got back onto the bed, eager to hear her girlfriend’s story.

“Did you pick those ones because they’re my favorite?” Ashlyn asked sweetly as she put the sleep shorts and t-shirt on before joining her on the bed again.

Ali thought about it and realized she had indeed picked the unicorns because she knew Ashlyn loved them. It hadn’t been a conscious decision but it was definitely why she chose them.

“I did” she admitted with a small chuckle and a smile.

Ashlyn leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips as she got comfortable. They were both on top of the covers. Ali sat leaning against the pillows and headboard and the blonde sat next to her, but facing her, cross-legged. She rested her right arm on the brunette’s outstretched legs and Ali held onto her calf with her right hand and squeezed it.

“I’m trying to be patient Ash, but I really need you to talk to me.” Ali’s words were firm but calm.

“I know baby. I know” the keeper said softly as she looked down and put her other hand on top of Ali’s in her lap. She moved her thumb across the back of the brunette’s hand as tears started to fall down her cheeks again. She took a shaky breath and tried to talk.

“It’s just...really hard... to...talk about...for me.”

Ali’s heart caught when she heard her girlfriend choke out the words without looking up.

“Is it hard for you to talk about with everybody, or just me?” Ali asked, hoping to help.

“Everybody...” she sniffled, “but harder...with...you.” She exhaled and closed her eyes, determined to get through it. “You’re...the one that...really matters...”

“Will it help if I tell you I’m going to love you no matter what it is that you have to say?” the brunette asked and stroked Ashlyn’s calf soothingly. “Because that’s the absolute truth Ashlyn.”

The keeper lifted her eyes to look into Ali’s beautiful cinnamon ones. There was no judgment or anger or even pity in them. All she saw was love and kindness gazing back at her. She moved even closer to the brunette’s leg, resting her knee on top of her thigh. Ashlyn wiped the tears off of her face and took another deep breath.


	18. The Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nobody likes a cliffhanger, especially this time of year. ;)

“Ok, I can do this...” she said out loud and exhaled. She took another minute and began. “First of all, I wasn’t trying to hide this from you. It just never really came up, before now. It’s not something I like to talk about or even think about if I can help it so I’m not surprised it never came up.” She fidgeted with the edge of the blanket that was near her lap and kept her eyes down as she spoke.

“I suffer from mild depression. That’s the official diagnosis anyway. It was bad when I was in high school because I didn’t know what the hell was going on so I just tried to muscle my way through it. Plus, you know what a nightmare school was for me in the first place. It was bad.” She licked her lips absent-mindedly and took another deep breath. “I got diagnosed in college and it changed everything for me. I finally had some tools that I could use to fight the darkness when I was stuck in it. I even learned how to keep it away, at least most of the time. I saw a shrink at school and learned about the disease and learned about myself and how it worked in me and through me. I also realized that my mom had been depressed probably my whole life. I didn’t know which came first, the drinking or the depression or the drugs but I was pretty sure it was the depression. She used the drinking and the drugs to try and deal with it. My shrink told me it was a pretty classic scenario that millions of people go through. That’s a whole other story though.” She stretched her back, subconsciously stalling, and rolled her shoulders back to loosen them up. “The point is my mom has more severe depression and takes medication for it and goes to therapy and it’s helped her a lot. My depression isn’t anywhere near that level. I don’t take any medication and I would go to group therapy once a month and that did the trick. I would go more if I was having a hard time and felt like I needed it.” 

Ali watched as the keeper turned clockwise and lifted the brunette’s legs up and put them in her lap. Ashlyn began to rub and massage Ali’s legs slowly as she talked. The brunette was reminded of the night on her couch at her house last summer when they had told each other their stories about Kyle and Chris. Ashlyn had rubbed Ali’s feet the entire time she talked about Chris and his struggles with addiction. She had to keep her hands busy and do something so she could talk about the hard things.

“Sometimes, especially when I was younger and dumber, I would skip therapy for too long and then things would start to get hard for me. Before I knew it I was freaking out and shutting down and...” she paused and swallowed hard before continuing, “disappearing.”

Ashlyn felt like a 50 pound stone had just been lifted off of her back. Just getting that out, right there, had been difficult and Ali was still sitting there with her. The keeper felt inappropriately giddy.

“Have you been going to therapy since you moved up here Ash?” Ali asked carefully, not wanting to sound accusatory or judgmental.

“No and that’s part of the problem.” She sighed and shook her head, chuckling softly. “I thought you had somehow cured me” she admitted and blushed, embarrassed at how stupid the words actually sounded when she said them out loud.

“What do you mean?” Ali asked, her eyes wide and curious. She leaned forward and slowly ran her hand down Ashlyn’s arm trying to reassure her.

“I was such a mess last summer with the long-distance thing with Hannah. It wasn’t working and I was really stressed about it. And the team last season was pretty bad and that was stressful too. I had been talking to my therapist over the phone once a month and seeing him when I went to DC. He kept encouraging me to see someone up here and I kept putting it off. Anyway, things came to a head and I was in rough shape and you were there.” Ashlyn looked over at the brunette and smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “You saved me twice last summer and you didn’t even know it. I’d never had any person ever have that type of effect on me. My shrink in college always told me there was no way anybody other than myself could have any impact on my disease. You made me so happy, you make me so happy” she looked at Ali again and grinned sheepishly, “that I honestly thought maybe I was ok. I know it was mostly wishful thinking but, honestly, you made me feel so amazing that it really was true when you think about it. All the crap that I put up with and went through with Hannah and I never had a real problem and that was because of you. I know it sounds silly, but it’s really the only explanation.” The keeper continued rubbing Ali’s legs as she talked.

“So this year you haven’t seen a therapist?”

“Umm no, well, except for this morning at the clinic in Melbourne. But I’m going to find somebody up here and get back into the routine with a group again. You have my word Ali” the blonde locked eyes with her beautiful brunette and made sure she knew how serious she was.

“I think that’s really great Ashlyn.” Ali leaned forward again and squeezed the keeper’s arm. “I’m proud of you for going to the clinic too.”

“Thanks baby, but it shouldn’t have come to that. I should never have let it get away from me in the first place. And I’m so sorry I hurt you and scared you.” Her lip started to quiver as she fought her emotions again. “That’s the last thing I ever want to do.”

They were quiet for a few minutes and Ali’s mind raced. She had so many questions but she was afraid of overwhelming the blonde.

“So...” she started and paused. “I know your season is stressing you out a lot, but last year it was more than that, it was the team and Hannah that pushed you to your limit, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Ashlyn focused on her favorite pair of legs, dreading the direction Ali’s question was heading. She knew she couldn’t lie and wouldn’t lie and didn’t want to lie to Ali. But she knew the brunette would be bothered by the Orlando Pride part of the story.

“Do you know what’s causing you the extra stress this year? Can you tell me?...” Ali sucked in a breath, trying not to cry. “Is it me?”

“What?” Ashlyn took a second and then moved up to hug her girlfriend. “No baby, no it’s not you.” She kissed Ali’s cheek and left her lips there for a minute more. “Weren’t you paying attention?” she teased softly and kissed her cheek again. “You’re the cure, not the problem.”

Ali was relieved, but she still didn’t know what was troubling her keeper.

“What is it then?” Ali brushed damp blonde hair away from Ashlyn’s face and gently stroked her cheek.

Ashlyn sighed and looked down again. She knew there was no getting around it.

“I think part of it is just how busy I’ve been. And a lot of that is on me because I chose to spend all that time with Mrs. Cummings trying to find out about Grandma Lilian. And I chose to have Niki come and help me with the studio. In hindsight maybe I bit off more than I could chew, especially without going to any therapy.” Ashlyn had kept her eyes on the legs she rubbed the whole time she spoke.

“What aren’t you telling me Ashlyn?” Ali wasn’t demanding. She was steady and solid and safe.

The keeper closed her eyes and bit the bullet.

“So, I never told you this before. I’m not sure why. I guess, sometimes, I feel bad talking about my career with you because you didn’t get to have your pro soccer dream come true and I feel guilty or like I’m rubbing your face in it. I don’t know.” She glanced quickly at her girlfriend and then brought her eyes back to her legs in front of her.

“Ok...but, honey, that’s not right. I mean, I appreciate how sweet you are to be concerned, but, come on. Give me a little credit” Ali spoke slowly and seriously. 

She was touched and annoyed and hurt in equal parts. The brunette took a minute to figure out what she wanted to say as the keeper continued idly massaging her legs. Ali continued.

“I’m never going to play professional soccer, and you’re right, it still hurts sometimes.” 

The brunette took another breath. Ordinarily she would have ripped her girlfriend a new one for treating her like such a baby, like such a weakling. Ali had to tell herself that the keeper was just being kind and that she didn’t really think she was that fragile. That’s what hurt. How could Ashlyn think so little of her? But that night, in that moment, with everything else swirling around their words Ali was afraid to be too harsh. 

“But cutting me out of that part of your life will only make me feel worse, like I’m letting you down.” Ashlyn turned to look at her as the brunette spoke. “I want to be involved in every part of you Ash. And you’re going to have to trust that I can handle it. And if I can’t, I’ll tell you.” Ali leaned forward and squeezed the keeper’s leg and then patted it. 

“I didn’t mean to make you feel worse. I’m sorry” the blonde said, shaking her head and looking at her girlfriend.

“I know. It’s ok. You were just being kind. But now you know” Ali said softly and leaned back against the headboard. “Just don’t do it again ok?”

“I won’t. I get it” Ashlyn replied, turning back to the brunette’s legs and hoping the slight off-topic road they’d turned down might keep her away from the hard part she dreaded.

“So, go on babe. Tell me what you didn’t want to tell me about your career” Ali urged in a steady voice.

The keeper took a deep breath and let it out and then another as she tried to work her courage back up again. Ali’s mind was spinning, trying to think of something so good or important that had happened with Ashlyn’s career that she wouldn’t dare tell her and hurt her feelings. After several minutes the keeper finally spoke again.

“Well, when Orlando launched the new team this season...”

That was all it took. That one word made everything click in Ali’s mind. Orlando.

“Oh my God” Ali interrupted and Ashlyn looked surprised. “Tell me you didn’t pass up playing for your hometown team because of me.” Ali’s face was pale and there were worry lines around her eyes. Her whole face contorted and she looked like she might throw up.

Ashlyn’s voice was strong and clear and she looked the brunette right in the eye when she spoke.

“Ali now you listen to me very carefully. This is important. I chose to stay with the Breakers for me. For me. It was my decision and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life and I’m thankful for it every day.”

“But your hometown team Ash...that’s everybody’s dream” Ali said softly and sadly, her beautiful face in a mournful frown.

“Hey, this is going to sound super cheesy but I really and truly mean it.” Ashlyn bit her lip and then turned to hold both of Ali’s hands. She looked deep into cinnamon eyes an spoke seriously. “Being with you is my dream. It’s the best dream I could ever hope for and nothing is more important to me than being with you. Do you understand?”

It did sound cheesy but Ali knew the keeper was sincere. She felt the same way about Ashlyn. She nodded in reply. They were both quiet for a couple of minutes.

“But then why did going to Orlando make you need to disappear?” 

“Oh Al...honey, I’m telling you, if I had been smart and gone to therapy it wouldn’t have bothered me one bit to get my ass handed to me by my hometown team when I brought my broke-down disgrace of a team down there.” She squeezed the brunette’s hands and brought them to her lips to kiss them. “Please believe me. I promise you it was just the final straw.”

“I wish you had told me about it, about playing in Orlando” Ali replied, still trying to take in all the information.

“But that look on your face right there is why I didn’t. I knew you’d feel bad about it even though there’s nothing to feel bad about.”

Ali gave her a confused look.

“Think about how fucking lucky I am. There wasn’t a wrong choice, only a best choice. I have a chance to go play in Orlando for my hometown team orrrrr...” she stretched the word out as she moved her two hands up and down like measuring scales. “I have a chance to stay in a house that I love with the woman I love more than anything else in the whole world. I couldn’t go wrong. That is pretty fucking lucky.”

Ashlyn smiled and her dimple appeared. The brunette lowered her eyes to focus and think as her keeper nuzzled her hands again. She knew Ali’s brain was working overtime trying to make sense of everything.

“That is pretty lucky” Ali began slowly, “and, if I were in your shoes, I probably would have done the same thing. Really, if I’m honest, I would have picked you too.” It would have been no contest and the brunette knew it. She couldn’t find anything that she would have done differently about anything the blonde had done. “I just don’t want you to resent me for it someday. That’s what scares me Ashlyn. But there’s nothing I can do about that. And that’s scary too.”

Ali looked pensive and troubled and Ashlyn got worried. Everything the blonde had explained made perfect sense, and, besides the surprise of finding out her girlfriend suffered from depression, the brunette was ok with everything. Slowly her face changed from contemplative concern to peaceful processing. Ashlyn had moved down and rubbed her feet during the ten minutes that Ali quietly worked through everything. She asked a clarifying question every once in a while and Ashlyn answered it honestly and directly. 

“So, are you alright with...everything I just dumped on you?” Ashlyn chuckled. “It’s not really funny, but it kind of is, right?”

Ali was surprised at how quickly her face jumped into a smile. She chuckled with Ashlyn and enjoyed the way the mood had lightened the longer they talked.

“I am mostly ok. I’m very glad you told me. That’s the biggest thing for me. I can handle a lot of things but only if I know about them.”

Ashlyn crawled up the bed and sat next to the brunette again, facing her the way they had begun the long, complicated conversation. 

“Still not psychic eh?” the blonde teased as she leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. “Such a slacker.” She giggled as she sat back again. She was so relieved to have that conversation mostly behind them. She knew they would have more talks about those tough subjects and she understood that Ali would have more questions the more she thought about things. And that was ok. 

“And are you really feeling better now?” Ali asked the question that truly terrified her. How different were things going to be from then on? She knew Ashlyn wasn’t going to be cured of depression someday. It was a life-long disease that they would both have to learn to talk about and deal with.

“I am feeling better, much better. I’m not great but I will be once I get back with a therapist. And before you ask, my therapist in DC is going to give me a list of two or three names that he thinks would be a good fit for me. Hopefully I’ll be able to get to an appointment next week. That’s my goal anyway.”

They held hands and gently worked their fingers and thumbs around other fingers and palms and knuckles.

“And if you have questions about any of this you can ask me anytime baby. I know it’s an adjustment and, hopefully, you won’t lose too much sleep over it.” She took a breath and got serious again. “My big fear is that you feel like you don’t know me. Like I’ve been faking or pretending for the past year and a half. And that’s not true. This is just one small part of me that hasn’t come to light before. That’s all.” She looked at their hands for a minute. “I remember when I found out about my mom’s depression and it was weird. I had to sort of think through everything that had ever happened between us with a new filter and work through it. It took time for me to feel normal around her again. And if that’s how you feel I understand. If you need to take some time and do that before you feel comfortable being around me...”

“No, I don’t need time away from you. I feel just the opposite. I want to stay close to you and protect you and keep you safe. And I know I can’t do all of that and you don’t really need me to anyway. But that’s what I feel like.”

“You’re so good to me Al. I love the way you look out for me. You’ve always done it and it’s the best feeling knowing you’re right here with me, helping me fight whatever comes at me.” She lay down next to the brunette and they repositioned themselves and faced each other on their sides.

“What you said about seeing your mom through a new filter is perfect. That’s what I’ve been doing all this time tonight. I’m sure I’ll have some more questions but I think I understand most of it” Ali explained as she looked into tawny hazel eyes blinking back at her. “I love you so much Ashlyn.”

“I’m so glad because I’m hooked and I can’t live without you and I don’t want to” the keeper replied emotionally.

They lay there quietly for several minutes, gently touching each other’s arms and hips and cheeks and hair as they studied one another. It had been a big, tough conversation but they had done it. 

“The only thing left, I think, is for you to be mad at me for not calling or texting to let you know I was safe. Do you need to yell at me? I deserve it so go ahead and get it out of your system.” Ashlyn’s face was serious and sincere but Ali didn’t say anything. “Go ahead Al. When I got here and thought you had left, all I could think about was how awful yesterday must have been for you. Who could blame you if you had said that was it? I know it was a shitty, cowardly thing to do and all I can do now is apologize and promise it won’t happen again.”

“Don’t do that.” Ali’s voice wasn’t angry. It was even and steady, as it had been all night.

“Don’t do what?”

“Make a promise you can’t keep.”

“What do you mean?”

“We talked about this last year when you blew me off for a whole month. I know the circumstances were different, but you told me then that it wouldn’t happen again. I trusted you and now it’s happened again, although just for one day.” The words were strong but her voice was soft and careful.

“I don’t know what to say” the blonde replied quietly and looked crushed. She knew how hard it was to earn the trust she had just tossed away because she couldn’t bring herself to send a simple text message.

“I’m on your side honey.” Ali reached over and put both of her hands on the keeper’s cheeks, gently caressing them with her thumbs. “I’m team Ashlyn all the way. But you have to talk to me. I can’t handle the not knowing. It destroys me.” The brunette closed her eyes for a minute as she reigned in her emotions. “You know I wouldn’t have pressed you for details if you had just texted me back and said you were safe at Gram’s and you needed some alone time. I’ll give you whatever you need sweetheart.” She brought their lips together in a long, slow kiss. “I love you.”

“I know you do. I let you down and I feel terrible about it. But I’ll earn your trust back Ali. That’s a promise I can keep.”

//

The Breakers next game was that Sunday night, July 17th. They lost to Sky Blue 2-3 but they scored two goals! It was the first time all season that they had scored multiple goals. It wasn’t much but the team took it as a positive sign and something they could build off of for the remaining seven games of the season. The team had the following week off and didn’t have to be back for training until Tuesday the 26th.

Ashlyn had planned, with Ali, to have a big birthday party for the brunette the weekend before her actual birthday. The party was set for Saturday July 23rd, at the end of Ashlyn’s week off. The blonde knew that Ali would want to be involved in the party planning and decisions so she decided against the surprise party approach. But she still wanted to bring a few unexpected twists to the big event. What Ali didn’t know was that Deb, Kyle, Tammye, Chris, Beth and Gram were all coming to the party too. And, of course, the big office surprise was still on the docket as well. Ashlyn and Niki just had to get it finished in time.

The blonde, taking a cue from her therapist, decided to cut back on the office details. She would just present Ali with the office part of the space, the desk, plan table, shelves, plan cubbies and filing cabinets. All of those pieces were going towards the back of the room. Originally, Ashlyn wanted to complete a more comfortable seating area up at the front of the room where Ali could relax and make phone calls instead of always having to sit at her desk or at the plan table. If she got a pull-out couch it would also mean an extra guest room if they ever needed it. But just as Whitney had coached her to manage her expectations for her very first date with Ali, Ashlyn was going to lower the bar on her perfect surprise office plan. Niki would come over Wednesday afternoon of the off-week and whatever they got finished would be enough. Ken and the boys were bringing over the filing cabinets and other things Ashlyn had stashed in his garage that same Wednesday night as well and that would be it. The more she thought about it the better she felt about her decision, knowing that Ali would probably rather decorate the space herself anyway.

And, true to her word, the keeper went to see a local therapist Tuesday morning of her off-week. She had called all three of the names given to her by her DC therapist. She spoke with each one for a while to get a feel for whether or not their personalities would mesh well. There was absolutely no point having a therapist who rubbed you the wrong way. Ashlyn eliminated one of the names after the first phone call. The other two therapists, a man and a woman, both seemed compatible over the phone and the keeper wasn’t sure which one to choose. It seemed a little arbitrary at the time but she decided to go with the female therapist, just based on a gut feeling. She had never had a woman for her therapist before and she thought the time might be right to change things up. Many of her group therapy meetings had been directed by women, but her official therapist had always been a man.

Ashlyn started to regret her decision when she pulled into an incredibly large office complex in a nearby town. Beverly was two towns away, southwest down the coast from Gloucester. The office complex was massive and ugly and the parking lot alone was intimidating. The keeper sucked in a breath as she parked and walked towards the brown concrete structure. The inside was an absolute maze. No exaggeration. There were business offices, retail shops, a couple of food stores, medical suites, a post office and almost everything in between filling up the four story building. What a crazy set-up Ashlyn thought to herself and chuckled at her own poorly chosen word. 

She must have walked for almost a mile and was about to give up when she rounded one final corner and saw the office she had been searching for. The keeper sat down in the small waiting room and instantly felt more at ease. The bland beige walls were covered with beautiful framed surfing posters and competition announcements. She quickly scanned the magazines in the waiting area and smiled broadly when she saw many of her favorite surfing and water sport titles dominate the mix. 

“Well it’s always good to see such a nice smile when I first meet somebody new.” 

Ashlyn looked up to see an attractive middle-aged woman with light brown hair that was thick with soft, wavy curls, smiling at her from the door to the inner office. She was about Ashlyn’s height but she looked lankier even though she wasn’t truly skinny. She had long arms and legs and seemed graceful and grounded at the same time. She wore a loose green skirt with glass beads in the drawstring gathering at her waist and a pretty batik blouse that was full of blues and greens. She had comfortable sandals on her feet and brown framed glasses on her face.

“I’m Dr. Olsen, but please call me Mattie” she said as she extended her hand towards the keeper with another warm smile.

“Ashlyn. Ashlyn Harris” the blonde replied as she got up and shook hands.

“Nice to meet you Ashlyn. Please come in and make yourself comfortable.”

As the keeper left the building an hour later, down a much easier path that Mattie had mapped out for her, she felt lighter than she had in months. It wasn’t very often that she saw immediate rewards from a decision that had been made between two such similar options. But Ashlyn felt like she and Mattie were old friends already. The therapist reminded her of Whitney’s mom. Maybe that’s what it was. The keeper knew she had the right person to help get her back on track and keep her there. Ashlyn was going to see her every week for a month and then scale back once Mattie felt like they knew each other well enough. The therapist had encouraged Ashlyn to bring Ali with her the next time in case she had any questions about how Mattie worked or what she expected from her patients.

And the other project the blonde wanted to get finished was her research into Grandma Lilian’s life. At first she just wanted to know for her own sake. She learned more from Mrs. Cummings and from her own mother’s cousin, or was it second cousin? Tammye’s cousin’s son Jeremiah lived in New Hampshire and had been helpful with some family history and information. And Ali had spoken with Mrs. Riley’s siblings and gotten some information from them as well. As the picture of Lilian had taken shape Ashlyn realized that she wanted to do something to honor her and she wanted to be able to do it while Tammye and Chris were at the house for the party. 

Ali, in the meantime, was scurrying around getting her own ducks in a row for the party. She had loved the idea of having an all day party so people could go down to the beach if they wanted to and then come back up to the house in the afternoon for food and drinks and air-conditioning. She loaded up the beach chairs and blankets and beach towels from her house and brought them up to the big old house. She also brought up her backyard games: croquet, ladder ball, her custom made Boston sports teams cornhole boards and bean bags; and some random sports equipment: soccer ball, Frisbee, softball and glove and bat, and basketball. Her plan was to just leave it all in the back of her truck until and unless someone wanted to use any of it. The brunette didn’t want to just unload all of the crap from her garage into Ashlyn’s.

She had also had two serious heart to heart talks with Sydney and a good bottle of wine. Each time. They, as usual, covered a broad group of topics but both times, when Sydney pressed her friend about what was really bothering her, Ali had talked about her fear of moving in with the blonde. She knew it was irrational and unfounded and unfair, frankly, to put any of her baggage from Emily onto Ashlyn and the big old house, but it was there nonetheless.

The most important thing that Ali did after Ashlyn’s Orlando trip, in her opinion anyway, was spend more time with her keeper. Work was busy but it wasn’t crazy busy like the Fall busy season yet. She had been putting extra hours in on the road trying to fend off all the new sales guys but what had it really gotten her? Not much besides stress and a stressed out girlfriend. She decided to cut back her time on the road so she could spend more time on all the paperwork that was vital to actually booking an order and getting paid for it. She started earlier in the morning and hit the road. Then, instead of going to appointments until 3pm or 4pm she started making her last appointments at 1pm or 2pm so she would have more time to do all the desk work in the afternoon. The goal was to eat dinner with Ashlyn and not have to do any work at night. She knew she wouldn’t be able to make this work during the busy Fall season but she had six weeks before she had to worry about that.

And both Ali and Ashlyn dedicated a lot of time during the Breakers’ off week to their relationship. They had a lot of errands to run and chores to do to get ready for the party but they made sure to do them together. Ali took Tuesday and Thursday afternoons off and all day Friday to spend with the blonde and it had been wonderful. Whitney was in California visiting her family so they had the whole house to themselves, except for Mrs. Riley on Monday and Thursday mornings. They watched a couple more Hitchcock movies snuggled up together on the couch and Ashlyn introduced the brunette to Shark Week by watching a bunch of the shows that the keeper had saved on the DVR. Shark week had been a blur when it actually happened the last week of June and Ali didn’t even realize it had come and gone. That, the brunette knew, had been a sign she had missed of the trouble coming for the keeper. 

They laughed and talked more during that off-week than they had during the last several weeks combined. The intimacy they wanted to get back was so much more than sex and they knew it. As was their way, they talked about it and how scary it had been to find out how easily things could go awry.

“It’s like when I got to Penn State and everybody was so good. I was used to being better than the other girls I played with and it was a shock at first. I mean, I worked hard in high school but it came so easily. In college I learned that it wasn’t just going to be easy all the time and if I wanted it I had to work at it.” She leaned forward and kissed Ashlyn’s cheek as they soaked together in the fragrant tub Tuesday night. 

“I know exactly what you mean. Same thing happened to me. I felt like such an idiot for thinking it would just keep being easy” the blonde agreed and leaned her head back against Ali’s shoulder so she could kiss her lips. The brunette kissed her slowly before sitting back against the tub again.

“Well we’re both idiots then” Ali chuckled and shook her head as she pulled some of the warm bathwater up across Ashlyn’s chest with her hand. “And we’ve learned our lesson, I hope.”

“I’ve never felt anything like what we have and I guess I thought it would just always be as perfect as it was those first few weeks.” The blonde moved her hands down Ali’s thighs under the water. “You know, like a permanent honeymoon stage” she explained and shook her head too.

The brunette kissed her neck softly. “I loved the honeymoon stage. Boy did I love the honeymoon stage” she grinned against the keeper’s neck and kissed it again. “But I’m so happy to be in the next stage with you babe. This is when it gets real. Harder, but real.”

Thursday night their sweaty bodies were wrapped together as they rested and recovered after having sex in one of the twin beds in Meg’s room. Ashlyn had made a rule when she started furnishing the different rooms, with Ali’s help of course, that anytime a new bed or couch or love seat came into the house they had to have sex in it or on it. Ali had giggled and agreed, thinking the keeper was only teasing. She had been serious and was shocked to find out that the brunette thought it had just been a joke. They fell behind quickly and once Whitney moved in it was almost impossible to catch up. So when they had an empty house and had sex Ashlyn tried to make up ground and honor her rule. ‘Better late than never’ was her motto regarding that rule in particular. And that is how they found themselves in the twin bed that night. The keeper wanted to cross the other twin bed off the list too but didn’t want to push her luck. 

“You know I respect the hell out of your rule babe, you know I do” Ali said breathlessly as she lay underneath the blonde. “But we have so many things to do tomorrow already, washing extra sheets just seems so...extra.” She chuckled and kissed Ashlyn’s lips before the keeper could protest.

“You’re right, but a rule’s a rule” Ashlyn said after they had made out for a few minutes. 

She held her body up, hovering over the brunette, while they untangled the top sheet from their legs and then lay down on her back so Ali could cuddle into her side the way she liked to.

“Besides” Ashlyn continued “I’m going to wash all the sheets and change all the beds tomorrow anyway so it’s perfect timing.”

“Why would you go to all that work? They’re clean, except for this bed now,” she chuckled, “if somebody needs to crash we’re already all set.”

Gram had always taught her granddaughter to change the sheets before you had guests stay over. Even if they were clean and nobody had slept in them it was always nicer to have fresh clean sheets for your guests. Unexpected guests were out of luck and would have to settle for just regular clean sheets. Ali had loved when the blonde explained the ritual to her. It was a perfect example of the lengths Ashlyn would go to for her friends and family. But that night, in the twin bed, the keeper realized she had almost blown the whole surprise guest portion of Ali’s birthday party. She tried to maneuver herself out of the tough spot she had put herself in.

“Oh you know someone will end up sleeping over. It’s just bound to happen” she said, hoping the nervous sweat that just broke out on her body would still seem like post-sex sweat to Ali. “It won’t take long and it’ll just be so much nicer.”

“Aww look at the young Martha Stewart, the perfect hostess, lying here between my legs. Who knew Martha would be so good at making me come?” she teased as she ran her hand down to Ashlyn’s center and gave her a fiery kiss. “You’re the absolute sweetest Ash. Now take me to that bed and fuck me again” she pointed to the other twin bed and squealed as the keeper carried her across the room and did as she had been told.

“My pleasure baby...” 

They got into bed early Friday night and snuggled and read to each other. Ashlyn finally broached a subject she had been afraid of since they first got together.

“Do you remember when you were telling me your story with Emily?” the blonde asked, closing the book after finally finishing ‘Cape Cod’. The fact that it had taken them over six weeks to finish the 116 page book was indicative of how hectic the month of June had been for both women.

“Yeah, in your glade” Ali answered lazily, her head in Ashlyn’s lap and her hand tracing the tattoos on her arm. “I love that spot” she said and remembered the secluded area around the stream they had visited in Satellite Beach.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you something about it but...”

“Ask away babe” the brunette encouraged.

“Well, I know you said you used to read poetry to each other and, um...” she was shy and wished she hadn’t brought it up.

“Just ask me honey.”

“Is it ok if I read you a poem sometime? Or is that something that was just for you and her?” the blonde spoke quickly and nervously.

Ali’s face lit up into her nose-crinkling smile as she looked at the love of her life being adorable and shy and cute and sweet all at the same time.

“Of course you can read me a poem Ash. Anytime.” The brunette brought the keeper’s hand to her lips and kissed it tenderly. “Why did you think that wouldn’t be ok?”

“I don’t know, you never talk about poetry so I thought maybe she wrecked it for you or something” Ashlyn explained and leaned down to kiss her girlfriend’s forehead.

Ali laughed out loud once, her short shout of a laugh, and then chuckled. “I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you babe. It’s just funny to think that Emily, poor confused Emily, could ruin poetry. Like, all of poetry has been destroyed.” She giggled some more. “I just didn’t think you liked poetry so I was trying to be nice and not bore you with it.”

“I’m so glad I finally asked” Ashlyn rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Whew!”

“By all means, read me a poem my love.”

Ashlyn reached over to her nightstand and pulled one of Ali’s books out of the top drawer. The brunette’s heart felt like it was going to burst and Ashlyn hadn’t even started to read yet. The idea that this extraordinary woman, this woman who was already so perfect for Ali, was about to get even more perfect was almost unbelievable.

“I hope it’s ok that I borrowed your book” the keeper looked bashfully down at the brunette who just smiled and nodded her head. “When I stayed with you at your house, when you were sick, I read some of your books.” The blonde thumbed through several pages until she got to the one she had bookmarked with a piece of paper folded in half. “I guess, technically, this isn’t official because she never meant for these to be published. But I really liked some of them a lot.”

She pushed her glasses up her nose a bit and started to read.

“’Close, close all night  
the lovers keep.  
They turn together  
in their sleep,

Close as two pages  
in a book  
that read each other  
in the dark.

Each knows all  
the other knows,  
learned by heart  
from head to toes.’”

She closed the book and put it back on the nightstand, then turned back to look at her girlfriend. Ashlyn moved some of the soft brunette hair off of Ali’s face and then joined their hands.

“I love Elizabeth Bishop” Ali said softly and smiled.

“I could tell from your bookshelf” Ashlyn teased and made the brunette smile even more.

“And how great is ‘close as two pages in a book that read each other in the dark’? That’s a beautiful poem.”

“It made me think of you right away, the book part especially” Ashlyn smiled sweetly.

“I don’t know who wrote this but I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I can’t get it out of my head actually.” Ali closed her eyes and squeezed the blonde’s hand as she spoke.

“’I’d pick your thunder,   
I’d pick your rain; over anyone’s sunshine  
any day.’” 

She opened her eyes and saw that Ashlyn had tears in hers.

“Oh sweetheart, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” Ali sat up and pulled Ashlyn into her chest so she could hold her. She kissed the side of her head and held her close as Ashlyn wrapped her arms around her waist. “I love that poem. It might be my next tattoo” the brunette admitted.

“Really?” the keeper’s soft voice came from Ali’s chest. “You’d get another tattoo?”

“Oh I don’t know. There hasn’t been anything that has meant enough to me to even consider for a long time. But things are different now” the brunette explained and brought her lips down to kiss Ashlyn’s.

They snuggled some more and then got under the covers to go to sleep. Ashlyn spooned Ali from behind, wrapped her arm around the brunette and held her tightly. Ali held onto the blonde’s arm and hummed contentedly as they got settled in.

“Do you wanna hear a poem I love so much that it’s definitely going to be a tattoo someday soon?” the keeper asked softly.

“Yes please.”

Ashlyn recited the r.m. drake poem from memory, speaking quietly next to Ali’s ear.

“’she was made of all  
complicated things, but  
she always had a simplicity  
in the way she laughed.  
And that is all she ever  
wanted, for someone to  
understand her while she  
was out making sense of her  
soul and the handful of  
flowers blooming from the  
top of her skull.’”


	19. Ali's Birthday Party - Part 1 (Lilian)

The day of Ali’s birthday party finally dawned and Ashlyn could barely contain her excitement. They hadn’t been up for more than an hour before the first wrinkle in the plan happened. Ashlyn, Ali, Whitney and Ryan were finishing breakfast in the nook in the family room when Ali decided she wanted Sydney to come up to the big old house earlier that morning to help her with the party set-up. Ashlyn and Whitney looked at each other and tried to slyly convince the brunette that they would both help her with whatever she needed. Ali looked at them like they were crazy and called her best friend as she put her breakfast dishes in the dishwasher.

Sydney and Dom were in charge of picking up the four Harrises and Deb and Kyle from the airport that morning. Ashlyn had rented a mini-van so everybody and their luggage would fit into one vehicle. The plan was to park the van down the street and bring the surprise guests into the house through the bulkhead into the basement. Then get everybody up the basement steps and into the front parlor where they would wait for Ashlyn to come in and somehow get Ali in there too.

“Well that was weird” Ali said and frowned at her phone as she walked back into the family room.

“What happened?” Whitney asked, trying to stay calm until they heard how Sydney had handled the wrinkle.

“Syd said she couldn’t come up because Dom had her car and then said her car was actually in the shop.” She shook her head and took one last gulp of her juice, emptying the glass. “I don’t know, maybe Dom took her car to get the oil changed or something. Anyway, I’m going to go get her. We’ll be back soon.” She grabbed some more dishes from the nook table and brought them to the dishwasher before Ashlyn caught up to her.

“I got those baby. It’s your birthday party day. You just try to take it easy this morning. You’ve got a busy day ahead and I know you. You’ll be exhausted before it’s even dinner time.” The keeper hugged her girlfriend and gave her a sweet kiss.

“Thanks hon. You’re sweet” Ali kissed her back. “But don’t think you’re getting out of pampering me on my actual birthday.” She winked and turned to walk out the mudroom door.

As soon as she was gone Ashlyn called Sydney and they decided that Dom was just going to have to do the airport run by himself. That man truly was a saint. Whitney and Ryan set up the tables Ashlyn had borrowed from the Breakers again. One of them went into the dining room which still didn’t have a real table and chair set yet. The other two went out into the driveway side of the yard. Ashlyn went upstairs and put the finishing touches on the office. She pulled off the sheets that had been disguising some of the pieces of furniture and she dusted and vacuumed up there too. She closed the door tightly behind her when she was done and wished she had put a lock on it six weeks ago. It had been so stressful hoping that Ali didn’t just wander in there and discover the secret surprise. She went back downstairs and put Ryan and Whitney in charge of moving the cars and jeeps out of the driveway and into the street and putting up the sawhorses to keep people from pulling up into the driveway. That’s where the two tables were going so people could sit around them and eat while on stable footing. That was the west side of the house too so in the afternoon the big trees would shade the driveway and make it a good spot to sit and relax. The keeper then started cleaning the rest of the house. It wasn’t too bad because Mrs. Riley had just been there Thursday morning, but the blonde wanted it to be perfect.

When Ali and Sydney pulled into the driveway to unload all of the yard games from the back of her truck it was almost 11am. Sydney and Whitney exchanged nervous glances as they moved the games into the backyard and cleaned them off and set them up while Ali parked her truck in the street and helped Ryan put the sawhorses back up. Ashlyn had gone out to check on the progress and pulled them both aside, winking at Whitney. 

“Listen, I’ve got a big surprise for her in the room on the third floor. Don’t let her go up there. I don’t care what you have to do. She can’t go into the room above your room Whit.” She looked carefully at both women. “Got it?”

Whitney already knew, of course, but Ashlyn didn’t have time to deal with Sydney feeling left out of the big surprise. Sydney and Whitney both nodded their heads and then all three of them looked up like deer in headlights when Ali came around the corner of the house to help clean off the games. Just as she was about to question the guilty looking group she heard Niki and Molly walking up the driveway with baby Noah and a huge bag full of baby stuff. 

“I hope we’re not too early” Molly said as she put the baby bag down with a thud.

“Not at all” Ali cooed as she went right for Niki and took Noah out of her arms.

They were expecting Dom and the mini-van anytime between 12 and 12:30pm, depending on airport traffic. Ashlyn had been monitoring the three flights and they were all still on schedule. The Harris flight would be the last to arrive and it was scheduled to land any minute, at 11:25am. Once that part of the surprise was over the keeper would be able to relax a little bit. She hoped.

Instead of making all the food herself Ali agreed that getting food from the same restaurant Ashlyn had used before would be the smart way to go. The brunette and Whitney put out some of the food so they could all eat lunch while Ashlyn got out the kiddie pool she had bought last summer for Meg and hosed it off and then scrubbed it clean before filling it up in the grass of the backyard, near the driveway and garage. Baby Noah was eager to get in and they all ended up sitting around the backyard talking, eating lunch and watching Noah splash in the kiddie pool with Niki kneeling in the grass right behind him.

Ashlyn saw movement out of the corner of her eye by the other side of the house. She moved over a little bit so she could get a better look without drawing any attention to herself. Dom was peeking around the corner of the house by the nook in the family room, the back left corner of the house. Ashlyn excused herself and went into the house through the mudroom, trying not to tip anybody off. She walked quickly over to the door she never used on the other side of the house between the nook and the rest of the family room and opened it.

“Front door” she said quietly to Dom. There were too many windows at the back of the house and she didn’t want to risk Ali looking in and seeing the guests too early. The keeper moved quickly to the front door and opened it, quietly greeting the guests and ushering them into the front parlor. 

“How is everybody?” she whispered to the group.

Gram needed to use the bathroom, as did Dom. Ashlyn took Gram to the half bath off the front hall and sent Dom to use the one upstairs. Whitney had come in to check on things and Ashlyn told her it would happen in 15 minutes. Ten minutes later Deb, Kyle, Gram, Tammye, Chris, Beth, Dom and Ashlyn stood in the front parlor grinning like fools. Whitney had quietly nodded at Sydney and then at Ryan and then at Niki to let them know it was about to happen. If they wanted to see the surprise they would need to move quickly after Ali went into the house. The defender thought they might be better off just running around to the side and front of the house and looking in through the windows. They’d have a clearer view and could get there faster without tipping Ali off.

“Ali!” Ashlyn yelled out the open mudroom door on the driveway side of the house. “Ali will you give me a hand please?”

“Coming” Ali called back.

Ashlyn and Dom had carried one of the big beverage coolers from the kitchen into the mudroom and the keeper stood in front of it waiting for her girlfriend while Dom went back to the front parlor with the others.

“What’s up babe?” Ali asked as she looked at the cooler. “Where’s that going?”

“Oh thanks hon. I want to put it in the front parlor so they’re more spaced out. You know, one at the back of the house and one at the front.” She bent over and got ready to lift the heavy cooler once Ali had picked up the other end.

“Ugh, this is heavy” Ali groaned as she lifted her end and backed up through the back of the front hall and into the dining room. “Why the front parlor though?” Ali asked as she made the final turn and backed ass-first into the front parlor.

“Because it’s a nice room and there’s something I wanted you to see in here” Ashlyn answered and couldn’t keep the dimpled grin off of her face any longer.

Everybody else from outside had quietly and quickly walked to the front of the house along the driveway and were all standing either on the front porch or just around the corner by the bay window and looking into the front parlor. Ali gave Ashlyn another confused look and stood up, leaving the cooler just inside the door.

“What do you mean?”

“Why don’t you take a look” Ashlyn replied and pointed behind the brunette.

Ali slowly turned around, half expecting to be hit in the face with a pie or something, knowing Ashlyn. When she finally turned around and saw the room full of their family she screamed with excitement and started hugging them all and crying.

“Oh my God I can’t believe you’re all here!” she squealed. “How is this happening? How did you all get here?”

“Don’t blame us” Chris started but Kyle interrupted and finished “It’s all her fault” he teased and pointed back at the keeper.

Ali, still crying, gave Ashlyn a big hug and whispered in her ear. “Thank you so much honey. I can’t believe you did this for me. I love you.”

“I love you too baby. Now go hug those people who’ve been travelling all day to get here and see you.”

Dom pulled the minivan up into the driveway so all the luggage could get unloaded. Kyle and Deb were going to stay at Ali’s house so things didn’t get too crowded in the big old house but they weren’t sure how or when they were getting there so Kyle brought their luggage in too. Everybody settled in and ate lunch and relaxed and swapped travel stories. Ali cracked up when she heard how she had messed everything up that morning by insisting on getting Sydney early.

“Oh geez, leave it to me to ruin my own birthday surprise” she joked.

“Nah, Dom’s a super hero, that’s all” Ashlyn chimed in, singing his praises. 

Other guests showed up as the afternoon began. Ken and Vicki and both her boys, Tanner and Koty arrived next. Ken was eager to see the big office reveal and didn’t want to miss it. Ali noticed the warm and friendly hug he gave Ashlyn. The brunette couldn’t have been happier to see her girlfriend and her dad bonding but she couldn’t remember when they had gotten that close. Ali’s friends came shortly after the Ipswich Kriegers. Carm, Jessie, Liz, Erica and Heather were all there in their bathing suits ready to hit the beach. Kristie Mewis and her boyfriend came too but they couldn’t stay too long. Kristie’s younger sister Sam was trying to make the USWNT roster for the Olympics coming up in August and there was a game that night against Costa Rica. There was a big family watch party that they had to get back to right after dinner time.

Ashlyn had told Ken to bring Apollo and Carm to bring her little dog Mickey and they both did. Sydney’s mom Sandi was there too, never one to miss an event of Ali’s if she could help it. Ali was surprised at how touched she was to see Mrs. Riley and her mom, Mrs. Cummings, and a few other people the brunette assumed were their family, come up the driveway.

“Argh, you were supposed to tell me when you were here so I could help you up the driveway” Ashlyn chastised Mrs. Riley and Mrs. Cummings as she hurried towards the group.

“We’re not invalids yet dear” Mrs. Riley teased her back with a wink.

Ashlyn introduced the two older women to the group and then Mrs. Riley introduced her three daughters and two of her younger brothers. Ali had spoken to all five of them over the phone about their memories of Lilian. Everybody got settled in again and in about an hour the keeper decided it was time. She squeezed Ali’s hand as she let go of it and walked over near the kiddie pool so the people in the backyard as well as the driveway and side yard could hear her.

“Well this seems like a good time to take a couple of minutes before we all go do different things.” Ashlyn stood on top of one of the big coolers and spoke loudly so everyone could hear her. The group gathered around her to listen.

“This house means a lot to me. A whole lot. And it means even more to have all of you here with us today to celebrate. I’m the luckiest person alive because we’re celebrating the birthday of the woman I love so much, Ali Krieger” she looked at the brunette and winked. “But, not surprisingly, she has agreed to share her celebration with this sort of dedication to my Grandma Lilian and her big old house. Thanks again” she said to her girlfriend before turning her attention back to the group. “The house was built in 1873 by ship captain Andrew Leighton. He and his family lived in the house for about 14 years, until he died. There’s an old photograph of the house in the mudroom by the side entrance. You should check it out on your way to the bathroom next time. Grandpa called it the sea captain’s house.” She cleared her throat as she started to get emotional. Without saying a word, Ali moved next to her, reached up and held her hand to steady her. The keeper squeezed it and held on to it tightly as she continued to speak.

“I can’t tell you what it means to be living in this house. I spent many many summers here as a kid and up through college really. And I feel like I knew the house much better than I knew the woman who lived in it. Sure, it was Grandpa’s dream house. He’s the one who kept his eye on it over the years, finally finding a way to buy it on the cheap in the 1970s. And I don’t mean to take anything away from what he did to and for this place but I really feel Grandma’s presence here. Not in a creepy, spooky way.” Some people laughed as the keeper chuckled. “It’s hard to explain, but I just feel a very strong connection to her in all the good ways. I feel like she’s looking down at us all right now and loving that we’re all here together today. But the reason I’m up here making a fool of myself like this is because I got to know my Grandma over the past several weeks through the memories and stories and history that people that knew her were kind enough to share with me. You see, I found her family bible and there were some names and dates listed in there that I’d never known about before. That’s how my quest started and I’m very thankful to have taken that journey, as painful as it was sometimes.” She squeezed Ali’s hand again and looked at Whitney and then over at the Rileys and Cummingses. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to introduce you to Lilian Elizabeth Dodge and John Edward Burnham.” She let go of Ali’s hand and pulled out some note cards.

“My grandparents got married when Lilian was 18 and John was 23. He was a shipbuilder who started his trade when he was still in highschool. Neither family was wealthy. They were from working class families who believed in getting an education and working hard to better yourself and your family. Lilian worked as a seamstress at a local shop and from home after her daughter, my mom Tammye” she nodded at her mother and smiled “was born. She worked until she was nearly 80 years old. The only reason she stopped was because the arthritis in her hands finally made it impossible to continue. John retired in 1985, that was a very very good year if I do say so myself” she joked because it was her birth year. Her family and friends laughed with her. “He had also been a sailmaker, as he got older and ship building became too strenuous he took it upon himself to expand his trade. He even became a teacher later, passing along his years of experience making sails for the ships here in Gloucester. Grandpa passed away in 2001 when he was 81 years old and Lilian took care of the house by herself for 14 more years until she passed away in January of last year. She even managed to buy the lot next door before a developer could purhase it and build another house on it. There’s a huge granite boulder, more like a small mountain really, on the lot and that’s why it sat vacant for so many years. It made the lot practically undevelopable, or at the least, extremely undesirable. But she didn’t just sit there and let the world pass her by.” The blonde caught her mother’s eye and delivered the next line right to her. “I’m sorry to say that’s where your college fund ended up mom.” Tammye laughed and smiled proudly at her beautiful daughter honoring her parents like that. 

“They both attended the United Methodist Church as they had all their lives. Most people believe that’s where they met, actually. After Grandpa died my Grandma did a wonderful thing that I never knew about until this summer. Back in 2001 when Grandpa died it was a sad summer up here for us. I was about to turn 16 years old and that was the first summer my Grandma and I ever really talked about the important stuff. For the first time ever, she told me stories about my Grandpa as a young man. And, in turn, I shared things with her that I would have found impossible to do before that special summer where we decided to open up to each other. She talked about her beloved husband and I told her I was gay. Here’s the thing about my Grandma that makes so much sense to me and that means everything to me and I never knew it until I talked with these beautiful people here.” She blinked back tears as she looked at Mrs. Cummings and her family.

“Later that year, after what I’m sure she thought was a respectable amount of time, my Grandma left the only church she had ever known and moved to the Unitarian Universalist church here in town because they were more open-minded and inclusive. She never told me about it and I was never smart enough to ask her about her church habits. But she did that for me, to support me and to show everybody in this town that she was proud of me and who I was becoming. And I’ll regret for the rest of my life that I didn’t get to thank her for that love and support. But I know she knows. I can feel it.” Ashlyn smiled and wiped a tear from her cheek.

“But that’s not the most awe-inspiring thing about my Grandma to me. As I looked in her bible at those dates I remembered the two small headstones at the cemetery next to Grandpa’s grave. I’d never seen them before that summer I visited his grave with her. I was only up here for a month but we must have visited five or six time at least. I remember asking her who those headstones were for. It was mostly just out of idle curiosity. I’d never heard anything about anyone other than my grandparents and my mom when I was little. Grandma told me they were her little babies and that’s all she ever said to me about it. Apparently, after pestering everybody in my family about it, I found out that she didn’t talk much about them. Her good friends, like Mrs. Cummings, knew the pain she went through though. She hurt and suffered even though she didn’t talk about it. I like to think I’m pretty tough. I got knocked down by a few injuries on my way to where I am today and I was able to fight back from all of them. But my Grandma was the tough one. She and Grandpa had their first son, Edward Dodge Burnham, in May of 1945. Grandma was 20 and Grandpa was 25. Edward was a good baby. He was strong and a good eater and a good sleeper. He had blonde hair that would get curly if it got too long so they kept it short.” Ashlyn grinned as she talked about the little boy with the curly blonde hair. “As soon as he could walk Grandpa would take him with him wherever he could. That was one of the only things he and Grandma argued about. Grandpa used to take little Eddie down to the docks and talk to him about the sea and the men who sailed and earned a living on it. Eddie turned 3 in May of 1948 and Grandma learned that she was pregnant again and they were thrilled. Having a family was very important to both of them because Grandma was an only child and Grandpa had only had one sister who was estranged from the family for much of her life. So building their own family meant everything to them.

Grandma kept doing her seamstress work from home while she took care of Eddie and was pregnant with their second child that year. But Eddie got sick. He had polio and he died in September of 1948. He was 3 years and 4 months old when they buried him. And Grandma was four months pregnant.” Her voice broke but she swallowed hard and kept going. “Now I don’t know who I was fooling thinking I was tough. But I can’t even imagine how tough that had to be for her, for both of them. But they tried to be hopeful, even through their darkest grief. They were optimistic people who believed in keeping on and keeping hope alive against all odds. So when John Thomas Burnham was born in February of 1949, just five months later, they were hopeful. But the delivery was complicated and difficult and both Grandma and the baby nearly died. But she fought through it and some people truly believed she willed her baby boy to live. Nobody thought he would make it through the night. The midwives that cared for them both kept saying that. That he wouldn’t make it through another night. But he did. Grandma got stronger and was able to hold baby John and feed him and sing to him and tell him how much they loved him. Jack was to be what they called him. No piece of paper anywhere says that. That’s the information you can get only from someone who knew her. And it means so much to me to know that they meant to call him Jack.” Ashlyn nodded again at Mrs. Cummings. “Grandma got to hold him for about three weeks before he finally didn’t make it through another night. They buried him next to his big brother in March of 1949, just five months after Eddie. And that’s whose headstones are out there next to Grandpa’s. It’s Eddie and Jack, Grandma’s little babies.

And I don’t know how she went on, but she did. She was still very weak and ill from the delivery. Nobody would have thought twice if she had stayed in bed and missed the funeral and burial. But she made Grandpa take her. Apparently she told him that if he had to carry her there over his shoulder he was to get her to that funeral and burial. And he did. And then people said that she wouldn’t make it. How could life have dealt someone such an unfair hand? How could anyone pick themselves up after that and go on? But that’s what she did. She persevered. They were hopeful and they carried on. She kept all of Eddie’s clothes hoping they might have another baby boy to wear them someday. But that day didn’t come. Grandma had two more miscarriages over the next ten years after that difficult delivery. Nobody thought she could have another baby. Everybody that knew anything about it said that the delivery had damaged her and she was physically unable to have another baby. And the miscarriages certainly seemed to prove them right. But finally, when Grandma was 38 and Grandpa was 43 their dreams came true and my mom, Tammye Elizabeth Burnham, was born. She was healthy and happy and the delivery went as smoothly as any delivery ever had. It was a miracle. And they were happier than they could have ever dreamed. And that’s what I remember most about my Grandma, about Lilian Elizabeth Dodge. No matter what kind of horror life threw at her she kept getting up every day and moving forward. It wasn’t pretty and I’m sure it wasn’t fun but she did it. Thank God for friends like Mary Cummings who had her own family and troubles to deal with. And thank God for friends like Patty Riley. And that’s the spirit I feel when I’m in this house. That’s the courage and bravery I aspire to have in my own life. I wanted to have something done for today to mark the occasion but I wasn’t able to finish it in time. I’m sorry about that. But I’ll finish it and I’ll frame it and I’ll hang it on one of the walls for her and it’ll be here as long as I’m here and hopefully for a long time after.” She closed her eyes for a minute and took a deep breath.

“Thank you all for indulging me and letting me tell you their story. And thank you Grandpa John for this amazing house. And thank you Grandma Lilian for your strength and endurance and courage, and for your love and support. I love you and miss you” her voice broke again.

“Here’s to Grandma and Grandpa” Chris said in a strong voice, his face stained with tears, as he raised his glass.

Everybody toasted them and stood there quietly for another minute reflecting on the story. Ashlyn gave her brother a pleading look from across the yard.

“Now that my baby sis has made us all cry” he cleared his throat dramatically, “let’s get back to having some fun and celebrating so many great things today!”

Kyle put the music back on and in a minute or two things started to get back to normal. Ashlyn had woven such a compelling tale that people wanted to linger in it for a few minutes. Before anyone could do anything about it, Apollo had stepped into the kiddie pool where Molly sat with Noah and licked the entire side of his cute little head. Everyone waited and held their breath to see if Noah was going to cry but he looked up at the huge dog, smiled and laughed. It was one of those belly laughs that babies do sometimes and it was like a magic spell. Everybody laughed with him so he laughed even more. Apollo went in for another lick but Ken tugged him away and apologized.

“Don’t be silly Dad” Kyle joked, “Apollo and that cute baby just saved this party!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The birthday party was too big for one chapter. The office reveal is in the next chapter.


	20. Ali's Birthday Party - Part 2 (the office reveal)

After the powerful and emotional story things went back to being fun and relatively carefree. Ashlyn introduced her family to Mrs. Riley and Mrs. Cummings and their families and they all sat around one of the shaded tables in the driveway and talked for the next hour or so. Mrs. Cummings needed to be back at the nursing home by 6pm for dinner and her medications. She also got more disoriented as the afternoon wore on and everyone could see she was getting tired. She loved being there though and Ashlyn was very grateful that her family had made the effort to get her to the party.

The rest of the guests split up into smaller groups and walked down to the beach for a swim, or played some of the games in the backyard, or fired up FIFA on the PS4, or kicked the soccer ball around the other side of the house. Ali and Sydney played cornhole against their moms and it was much closer than anybody thought it should have been. Deb was really good and, to anybody paying attention, it was easy to see where a lot of Ali’s natural athletic ability came from. Once the younger women finally won, Ali excused herself and made the rounds checking on everybody. As she walked from the backyard to the side entrance by the driveway Ashlyn slipped away from her family for a minute and walked inside the house with the brunette. They stepped through the mudroom, across the front hall and into the empty dining room. 

“Thank you for letting me do that Al. My mom is just beside herself. I’ve never seen her like this. I’m not even really sure if it’s a good thing or not” the keeper explained lightly. She spoke softly as she hugged the brunette.

“You did great babe.” Ali leaned in and kissed her slowly, wanting to feel connected for a moment in the middle of their hectic but happy day. “Knowing all of that and talking with you about it over the last few weeks was one thing, but hearing you tell their story like they were old friends of yours...that was something else.”

“You don’t think it was too sad? I didn’t mean to ruin your party. I guess I didn’t think about how awful the story is when you first hear it. I was so focused on the strength and survival aspects of it that I forgot how fucking tragic it is at first.” The blonde leaned her forehead against Ali’s and they held hands.

“I thought it was perfect. Honestly. It’s a sad story and you can’t get to the strength and survival part without the tragic parts” Ali answered matter of factly. “There’s no other way you could have done it.” 

“I hope you’re right” the keeper exhaled. “I was worried about hurting my mom, either with the story itself or by making her feel guilty because she didn’t know her own parents well enough to tell me any of that information in the first place. But she seems fine about it. She and Chris are out there asking Mrs. Cummings a thousand other questions.”

“You should get back out there then. Mrs. Cummings will be getting tired soon” Ali suggested as she gave her girlfriend a quick kiss. “I’ll come too so I can thank them for coming and for all their help.”

They walked, still holding hands, back out the way they had come in and headed over to the table in the driveway.

Not too much later, all of the Cummingses and Rileys said their goodbyes and made their way down the driveway. The group of swimmers walked back up from the beach, hungry and tired. Ali, her mom and Vicki went into the kitchen and got all the food put out so everybody could eat dinner. Molly carried a fussy Noah into the kitchen, and got a bottle out of the refrigerator. She had just changed him and he was hungry and tired. 

“Can I?” Ali asked, a little embarrassed that in a house full of all of the most important people in her life all she wanted to do at that moment was feed a fussy baby and rock him to sleep.

Molly smiled. “Of course you can, he’ll love it.”

The two women walked into the relatively quiet front living room and Ali sat down in the recliner and took the baby from Molly as she had done so many times that summer. Molly draped the burp cloth over the brunette’s shoulder and, when Noah was situated in the crook of Ali’s arm, put the bottle in her hand. She waited for a second to make sure her son wasn’t so fussy that he refused to eat and then, when he latched on to the bottle, she went into the kitchen to find her wife and get them something to eat. Deb couldn’t resist. Vicki gave her a smile and told her to go. 

“I was wondering how long it would take you to get in here” Ali chuckled quietly as her mom sat on the end of the couch, next to the recliner. Ali spun the chair so she was almost facing her mom.

“He’s going to finish that whole bottle in record time” Deb commented with a big grin on her face. “What a little tubba.”

“He’s the best” Ali said softly and kissed him on his head. “And he smells so good. Why do babies smell so good?” she enthused.

Deb chuckled. “So you forget how painful it was to give birth to him and get pregnant again.”

“Mom that’s terrible.”

“But it’s true” Deb said quietly. “He looks good on you honey. You’re going to be such a good mom. I just can’t wait.” She was smiling from ear to ear as she watched her daughter pull the bottle away from Noah and burp him before he finished the bottle because he was taking it so fast.

“Good boy Noah” Ali cooed as she settled him back again after a big burp. She put the bottle back between his lips and he happily went back to work on it.

“So how long are you going to make me wait for my grandbabies Alex?” Deb teased.

“God Mom, it hasn’t even been six months yet. Come on” Ali replied easily. They were both quiet for a few minutes as they watched the beautiful boy finish his bottle. “The good news is that she definitely wants kids too” Ali offered softly, rewarding her mother for sitting there quietly with her.

“Oh that’s just the best news I’ve heard in a long time” Deb whispered excitedly. “I’m so happy for you two honey.”

“Me too mom” she said as she smiled broadly at her mother.

After Ali and Deb went upstairs and put Noah in Meg’s crib, which Ashlyn had brought down from the attic and set up in the master bedroom for the day, they closed the door behind them and went down the back stairs to the kitchen. Everyone was spread throughout the house eating and drinking and laughing. It was a really great group of people who were having a good time. Ashlyn, Ken, Vicki, Kyle, Niki, Tanner and Koty were all huddled around the nook in the family room eating and talking quietly. Apollo was on the floor nearby, snoring loudly. Ali and Deb looked at each other.

“That’s trouble right there” Ali stated and rolled her eyes. “Something’s going on with Dad and Ashlyn but I can’t figure it out yet.”

“He really likes her Alex. I don’t know what he’s told you but you don’t have anything to worry about” Deb said as they made plates for themselves.

It was almost 8pm and Sydney, her mom and Whitney had just put all of the leftover food away while Gram and Beth set out the cookies and brownies and other sweets for dessert. Ashlyn winked at Niki and walked through the first floor to find Ali. Niki made eye contact with Ken and they both moved through the guests quietly letting them know that it was time to move up to the third floor to finish the house tour. As Ashlyn had given tours of the house to different groups of people throughout the day she had told them that the third floor tour would be later, after dinner but before cake. Nobody really pressed her on it, except Chris and she had given him the look that told him to just shut up and go with it or she’d kill him.

The keeper found Ali in the front parlor sitting on her favorite love seat in the bay window with Tammye and Beth and Molly. 

“Hey Ali, can I talk to you for a minute please?” she asked from the front hall by the front door. “I’m sorry to interrupt ladies.”

“What’s up babe?” Ali asked as she met her girlfriend in the front hall.

“I love you so much” Ashlyn said earnestly, her eyes focused intently on Ali’s.

“I love you too honey, but did you need to call me out here just to tell me that now?” she giggled.

“No, I just...that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about but you’re so beautiful I guess that just came out first” she answered and grabbed the back of her neck with one hand, nervously shifting her weight. She took a deep breath. “Can I show you something upstairs?” she asked with a slightly shaky voice.

“Ashlyn” Ali said quietly with a stern look. “If you think I’m going up there to have sex with you right now with all these people in your house you’re out of your beautiful mind.” 

“No, I don’t mean it like that” Ashlyn started, “although, now that you mention it, that could be really hot...”

“You’re too much” the brunette laughed but was more than a little intrigued at the thought. “What’s going on? You’re up to something and my dad’s involved and I can’t figure it out.”

Ashlyn froze for a second when she heard Ali’s words. She recovered quickly though and took the brunette’s hand at the bottom of the stairs in the front hallway.

“Please, just trust me, ok?” Ashlyn implored and started walking up the stairs to the second floor, holding Ali’s hand and leading her along.

“Alright, but if this is some practical joke where you scare me I’m going to kill you. Just know that as we keep going up these stairs” Ali declared seriously.

They climbed up to the third floor in silence, Ashlyn too nervous to say anything and Ali still trying to figure out what was going on. Ashlyn walked them to the front of the third floor hall and stood between the studio and the new office where both doors were closed. Other guests had followed them up the stairs and were standing in the third floor hall and on the stairs themselves.

“Ash, what’s going on? You’re freaking me out” Ali said quietly as she saw all the other people standing behind them.

“I’ve been working very hard on something for almost two months now. I’ve had lots of help. Mostly from Niki but also from Whitney and your dad” the blonde spoke as evenly as she could, her nerves making her voice a little shaky. 

Ali assumed the keeper had been talking about the studio project that she and Niki had been working so hard on. But why would her dad have anything to do with her girlfriend’s art studio?

“I’ve told you this before and I meant it each time and I mean it again now. I love living in this house and this house would be nothing without everything you’ve done to help me. And you’ve helped me every step of the way Ali and I’ll never be able to repay you for all your hard work.”

The brunette was getting more confused by the minute. She had helped with a lot of things at the house but the art studio was definitely not one of them. She didn’t know enough to be helpful about much when it came to art. But she trusted her keeper and she would give her a few more minutes of faithful listening.

“I’ve asked you to move in with me before but I didn’t do it right. I didn’t show you how serious I was about making this your home too. About making it our home.” 

The blonde held both of Ali’s hands and squeezed them as her eyes shone brightly with excitement. Ali was now the nervous one. 

“Well I couldn’t be more serious Ali. I want you to move in with me and make this house our home. And to prove it to you I’ve re-done this room for you, I hope you like it. But even if you don’t, I still want you to move in.”

Ashlyn kissed both of Ali’s hands and then opened the door to the new office and ushered her across the threshold.

“Oh Ashlyn...”

The brunette held onto one of Ashlyn’s hands and covered her mouth with her other one as she looked at the beautiful room. The walls were the color of brown sugar and the trim around the windows and the door and the baseboard were a clean white paint. The hardwood floor was the familiar mix of lighter maple boards and darker walnut ones randomly arranged. The door was at the front of the room, near the front of the house. It was a long rectangular room with two windows on the side wall and one window on the front wall. There was an L-shaped desk about 2/3 of the way down the room. The slightly shorter leg of the desk went along the interior wall of the room and the longer leg stuck out into the room, it had been stained to match the dark walnut of the floor. Behind the desk along the back wall of the room were two long, cream-colored horizontal filing cabinets. They were about three feet tall and Ashlyn’s idea was to put Ali’s printer and combination fax machine and scanner back there on top of them. In the back right corner was the little area with the vertical cubbies, stained in the lighter maple color, for all of the blueprints and plans Ali worked with and needed to keep on hand. On the exterior side wall, between the two windows but closer to the back one and the cubbies, was the antique plan table. It was a different wood finish altogether but it looked good in the room. Niki’s best guess was a black mahogany wood that had faded over time and was now closer to a greyish brown color. Along the interior wall, above the desk and extending almost the full length of the wall, were the small shelves for the brunette’s shot glass collection. These had also been stained the dark walnut. Ashlyn had taken a few shot glasses that she had been able to squirrel away during visits to Ali’s house and set them up in one section of the shelves to give her an idea of what it might look like. There was a lamp of the desk that was turned on. It was new but designed to look like the old antique library lamps with the pull string to turn it on and off. There was a matching floor lamp up in the top right corner of the room. This was the area where Ashlyn was going to put a couch and a chair with some sort of end table or coffee table and an area rug but she decided to let Ali furnish this area herself. So, that night, it was empty except for the floor lamp. And there was another matching lamp resting on top of the plan table. They would need to get an electrician to wire it, but it would go on the wall above the plan table and get mounted on an arm that Ali could pull out and move around above the plans as necessary. An overhead light that was operated by the light switch just inside the door was the only other lighting in the room so far. There were wooden blinds, very close to the dark walnut finish, in all three windows that you could tilt open or closed and then also pull up if you wanted to just have a clear look out the window. Again, the keeper had decided to let Ali pick out actual curtains or valances to go with them if she wanted. On the desk in a clear vase was a beautiful blue flower arrangement.

Ali stood there for an agonizing four or five minutes as she took in the beautiful room. The other guests had filled the third floor hall and were taking turns peeking into the room and oohing and aahing as the brunette stood there. Ashlyn was dying inside, waiting on pins and needles for her girlfriend’s answer about moving in. With each minute that passed she became more and more panicked. Niki saw the look on her friend’s face and stepped into the room behind Ashlyn. If Ali wasn’t going to say yes then Niki would be ready to start talking about the different pieces she had made to distract everybody and let the keeper make a quiet escape if necessary.

“Well?” Ashlyn asked, far more eagerly than she wanted. She sounded desperate and she knew it.

Ali turned to her and gave her a big hug and kissed her on the cheek. “I love it! I can’t believe you did this for me” she said as she turned again to look at the room.

Ashlyn couldn’t stand it anymore. She was happy that the brunette loved the room but she was getting frustrated that her question was still unanswered. It had never occurred to her that she might say no. She set her jaw and moved to stand in front of Ali, between her and the room she was admiring. She shouldn’t have done it because all she saw were the faces of everybody else who was watching her crash and burn. ‘Fuck me!’ she yelled at herself inside her head. Ashlyn shoved her hands into her back pockets and focused her eyes on Ali’s face. She looked very happy but there was something else in her eyes that wasn’t quite right. 

“What’s your answer then?” she asked impatiently. 

Ali swallowed hard and tried desperately to keep the smile on her face. It was the moment she had been hoping for and dreading. She knew she was going to say yes. She knew she was going to move in with Ashlyn and be very happy for a long long time. But there was still that part of her that was terrified that making the change would mess everything up. But she had to say something and ease poor Ashlyn’s worried mind. The keeper looked like she was going to crumble any second. ‘Say yes. Just say yes!’ she screamed at herself inside her head. It was another interminable minute before she was able to take a breath and say the words.

“Yes. Of course I’ll move in with you Ashlyn. I love you.”

The brunette threw her arms around Ashlyn’s neck and hugged her so tightly that she almost couldn’t breathe herself. Ashlyn, who had seen the hesitation and fear in those whiskey colored eyes right before Ali finally answered her question, was relieved but devastated too. What could possibly be wrong? What more did she have to do?

Niki and Ken came into the room and other friends and family followed. Ashlyn was quiet but everyone assumed she was just emotional about Ali agreeing to move in. They gave her some space and Niki did the walkthrough of the details of the room. Gram came up and stood next to the keeper with her arm draped around her waist. She stayed there like that the whole rest of the time they were in the room. She knew her granddaughter needed a little lift right at that moment and she was happy to stand beside her and hold her up a bit. After another few minutes Sydney came over after giving Ali a big hug over by the desk. She stood on the other side of Ashlyn, who was still up near the front of the room with Gram holding onto her. The coach bit her lip and tried to decide what to do. Her loyalty would always be with Ali, without question. But her heart had broken for Ashlyn as she watched her best friend leave her twisting in the wind waiting for her answer. Sydney knew that Ali had done the best she could possibly have done, the brunette was genuinely afraid of moving in with her girlfriend. But Sydney also knew that Ali wanted it more than anything else in the world.

“I don’t know what that was Ash, but I know for a fact that she wants this more than anything. Just so you know.” The coach spoke just loudly enough for the keeper to hear her and maybe Gram, if her hearing was really good. She squeezed the blonde’s shoulder and moved back towards the hall to give someone else a turn in the room. 

Twenty minutes later Noah cried loudly from the master bedroom, just waking up from his nap. Ashlyn seized the opportunity to get the fuck out of that room. She squeezed Gram once and then moved towards the door.

“I’ll get him” she said as she met Molly’s eyes and walked through the hall and started down the stairs. Whitney quietly followed her.

“Ok, so who’s ready for cake and ice cream and singing happy birthday to this binch?!” Kyle said loudly from his spot next to his sister.

The large group started back down to the first floor and Ali made sure to thank Niki and her dad again before they left the room. 

“I can’t thank you enough for this. It’s just beautiful and I’m really just...just shocked that you did all of this up here and I had no clue.”

“Every Wednesday she’d come and kiss me goodbye and say ‘Don’t wait up, I’ll be working late at the office tonight’ and then crack up as she left the house” Molly shared, laughing. “It was funny every damned time and I have no idea why.” She laughed again and shook her head as she put her arm around Niki’s waist.

“Whit ran interference for us a lot. Couldn’t have done it without her” Niki explained as she put her arm around her wife. “We should get the boy home, he’s probably giving Ash a terrible time.”

They said their goodbyes and Ashlyn, still carrying Noah, and Whitney, carrying their big bag of baby stuff, walked them to their car as everybody else gathered in the kitchen to sing happy birthday to Ali.

“She said yes Ash. She said yes. Don’t read too much into it. That was one hell of a surprise” Niki said as Molly buckled Noah into his seat.

“That’s what I said” Whitney agreed. “Part of the risk of a big surprise is you shock the shit out of people and they don’t always handle it well. Just talk to her about it tonight and don’t let it get to you until you do.” 

“Thanks guys. Love you. Bye little man. Drive safe Nik. I’ll call you tomorrow” the keeper said as she hugged the couple goodbye and waved to Noah.

When Whitney and Ashlyn got back to the house they picked up their cake and ice cream and moved into the front living room to watch the USWNT play Costa Rica with a bunch of other people. The game was on in the family room too with another group of people watching it there. Ken finished his cake and ice cream and patted Vicki on the shoulder as he got up to throw away a bunch of paper plates from the family room. He had watched his daughter leave the room a few minutes earlier but couldn’t find her. He looked in the front living room expecting to see her sitting with Ashlyn. But the keeper sat on the couch between her brother and Whitney, still looking sad and confused. As he got to the top of the stairs he saw the light on under the door to the office and sighed. He knocked twice but didn’t get an answer. He heard a few sniffles and turned the knob and went in. Ali sat on the floor next to the plan table with her back against the wall. Her legs were stretched out in front of her and she was picking at the label on her beer bottle with tears in her eyes and on her face.

“Hey princess, can I come in for a minute?”

She didn’t say anything but he knew that meant yes. He sat on top of the desk and faced her, his legs dangling off of the half of the desk that stuck out into the room.

“That was delicious birthday cake. I missed eating ice cream with you.”

She sniffed again.

“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours honey? I’d love to know because I might be able to help. Or maybe you just need someone to listen and not try to help.”

She took a breath and opened her mouth but tears came out of her eyes instead. She cried for a couple of minutes and then got control of herself. Ken was not usually the one to have the heart to hearts with his daughter about her love life. He had been there for countless talks about soccer and teamwork and competition and all of the tough conversations about putting in the work to get results. It had been Ken that Ali had called when she got to college and realized she might be out of her depth because all of the other girls were just as good as ahe was. And, like always, he reminded her what it took to be great and encouraged her to believe in herself. And he did it all with a no-nonsense demeanor that would have sounded heartless to some if they didn’t know him or his daughter better. People assumed that Ali was a perfect little clone of her mother. She was just like Deb in a lot of ways. But Ali got her honest, straightforward communication style from her father. He had never been mean or cruel, but he was tough and honest. And he never sugar coated anything. Sitting there on his daughter’s new desk he hoped he had read the situation correctly. If he had, then he might be just what she needed. And he had made a promise to himself just over five years ago that he would never back away from her love life again. He may not know exactly what to say but he was going to try. He was going to say something. 

“Do you not want to move in with Ashlyn?” he asked gently.

“No, I do want to move in with her. I love her and I want to live with her so much” Ali answered quickly and clearly leaving no doubt in either of their minds about it.

“That’s great then. I guess I thought you’d be happier about it is all.”

“I am happy Dad. I’m just...scared” Ali’s voice wavered as she said the last word.

“Ok. Well it can be scary to make a big change like that, no matter how much you love the person. I can understand that. You never know what that person might really be like to live with and...”

“No Dad, it has nothing to do with Ash. She’s perfect. She’s amazing. I mean, look at this room” she looked at the room for the hundredth time in the past hour. “She did this for me, just because she’s the sweetest person in the world. She practically made herself sick to do this for me.” She gulped a breath of air. “I’m lucky she asked me to move in. I’m the lucky one.”

“Well, sweetheart, if you’re not afraid of Ashlyn then what are you afraid of?”

She pulled her knees up, set her beer bottle down next to her, wrapped her arms around her shins and put her head down on her knees. Ken thought she was going to cry again and wondered if maybe he really was out of his depth. Just as he was about to get up and go find Deb he heard the faintest voice come from his strong, brave daughter.

“Emily.”

Ken swallowed and felt his heart tug. Just that girl’s name made his blood boil and his heart break at the same time.

“What about her princess? I know you know that Ashlyn isn’t like her and that what you had with Emily is nothing like what you have with Ashlyn. So what could one possibly have to do with the other?”

“I know Dad, it’s just...what if I mess this up? What if I’m just not good at living with someone? What if I can’t do this well enough and she leaves me?”

“Alex, I know that what happened with Emily was terrible.” He tried to keep his voice strong even though he wanted to cry for his little girl. She was so strong but she had been so broken and when he heard her frightened voice just then it had almost been too much for him to handle. “And I know that you haven’t told your mom and me everything so it was probably even more terrible than we think it was.”

Ali looked up at him, surprised that her parents had figured that out. She sat back against the wall again.

“But, listen to me now princess, it wasn’t your fault. And I know you know that but maybe...maybe you still need to hear it every once in a while too. So I’m telling you so you can hear it, loud and clear ok? It wasn’t your fault. Emily was sick and she probably still is and there was nothing you could have done to keep that from happening. It wasn’t your fault.” 

He fought back tears of his own as he willed his daughter to look up at him. She didn’t, her eyes closed and her face down with her chin on her chest. He got off of the desk and knelt down in front of her bent knees. He rested his hands on her knees and shook them gently until she met his eyes.

“It wasn’t your fault Alex. It wasn’t your fault.”

The brunette got on her knees and hugged her father, letting him hug her tightly. They kept hugging for several minutes and Ken spoke quietly but firmly in his daughter’s ear. 

“It wasn’t your fault honey. You deserve to be happy and you can be happy. You just have to let yourself.” 

“I know Daddy.”

“It’s easy to see that Ashlyn makes you happy and you make her happy. I’ve never seen you so happy before, honestly. So don’t worry about anything but that ok? Can you do that for me?”

They leaned back and looked at each other until Ali finally gave him a tiny smile.

“Yeah, I can do that” she said and wiped some of the tears off of her face.

“Do you know that she came to my house and asked me for my blessing?”

“She what?” Ali asked, incredulous. She honestly wasn’t sure if she liked that or not, but she appreciated the sheer courtesy of it. If her father had somehow said no Ali knew the keeper wouldn’t have been deterred.

“Yes she did. I almost fell over from shock.” They both giggled. “Don’t tell her I said this, but she’s pretty special. I think she really loves you and appreciates you for all the right reasons honey and I think you know that too.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Well maybe you should tell her what you’re afraid of, so she understands, and then it won’t be such a big deal. Maybe she can even help you get past it.”

There was a knock on the open door and Ken turned to see Ashlyn standing in the doorway.

“Can I come in?” she asked with the smallest smile Ali had ever seen on her face.

“I think so” Ken answered as he stood up and kissed Ali on the forehead. “I was just leaving.” He patted his daughter on the knee one last time. “I love you princess.”

“I love you too Dad. Thank you.”

Ken patted Ashlyn’s arm as he walked past her towards the door. The keeper went and sat down next to Ali so their shoulders and hips and legs were touching.

“How are you doing?” the keeper looked at her girlfriend and waited for an answer.

“How much of that did you hear?” Ali asked without looking at the blonde.

“Umm, most of it. I’m so sorry Al, I didn’t mean to, I was thinking hard as I was coming up the stairs and by the time I realized what I was listening to I was already halfway down the hall. I stopped and then tried to go back slowly but voices really carry up here” she explained quickly and grabbed the back of her neck with her hand. “We’ll have to keep that in mind when it’s time to break in whatever furniture you get up here.” She winked at her girlfriend hoping it wasn’t too soon for a joke.

“Ha ha, very funny” Ali said, trying not to smile. Ashlyn always made her feel better. She leaned her shoulder into the blonde’s and reached over and took her hand.

“I love you Alexandra Krieger and I’m so happy that you said yes to moving in with me. But if you’re not ready...”

“I’m ready Ash. I just have to get out of my head. I’ve been worrying about this for weeks now and nothing ever changes. I love you and I want to move in with you and I’m afraid I’ll fuck it up once we start living together.”

“I’m afraid too, of the same thing...me though, not you, fucking it up.”

“You are?” Ali looked at the keeper, surprised.

“Sure, this is the most important thing in the world to me, of course I’m terrified I’ll ruin it. But I think that, together, we’re pretty awesome. And I know that if I start to mess it up you’ll tell me. And then we can fix it before it gets too messed up. And I’ll do the same thing for you. We’ll help each other not fuck it up. Ok?”

It seemed like such an insanely simple solution, but it made excellent sense to the brunette. She smiled, a big real smile, for the first time since coming up to the third floor for the big reveal almost two hours ago.

“I think that’s a genius plan and I think we can make that work. I love you so much Ash.” She leaned over and placed a soft and slow kiss on the blonde’s lips.

“Al I want to tell you something else too, if it’s alright” she cleared her throat nervously and made Ali terrified.

“Ok, I think.” Ali wasn’t trying to be funny.

“I can be someone who tells you that it wasn’t your fault too. If you want. Or if you need. I...just want to help and if that’s helpful then I want to do it. If you want. Because you do need to hear that, even though you know it. We all do. And maybe you can remind me of it too sometimes.”

“Yes, honey, yes.” She kissed the keeper’s lips after each word and got more emotional with each one, her voice cracking. “That’s what we’ll do. I love you so much.”

They hugged tightly and both felt a huge weight lifted.

“I love you too...princess.” Ashlyn teased and giggled about the petname her father used for her. “I like that one a lot. I’m gonna have to start using that one.”

“Oh that’ll be wonderful” Ali sniffled and chuckled as they broke the emotional hug. The brunette gazed into Ashlyn’s adoring eyes and felt her heart swell. “Just shut up and kiss me.”

“As you wish.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full props to 'The Princess Bride'


	21. Harris Family Vacation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut Warning

When Ashlyn and Ali went back downstairs to watch the end of the soccer game everybody’s mood improved. The tension that had seeped into the air after the big office reveal lifted and was replaced by love and laughter. And Ali and Ashlyn were inseparable for the rest of the night. They sat close together with their arms around each other’s legs or Ali sat on Ashlyn’s lap as the game ended.

Kyle stood next to his sister in the kitchen as she and Ashlyn pulled out more food for a late night snack for everybody who was still there. Almost everybody left after the game, except for Sydney and Dom. The two hostesses said goodbye to Ali’s friends and to Ken and Vicki and Apollo and the boys and to Sydney’s mom. Whitney and Ryan and Sydney had gone outside and put everything away while Dom put away the sawhorses and pulled the vehicles back into the driveway where they belonged.

“Mom’s really exhausted, can I just take your truck and drive us to your house now?” Kyle asked quietly. “You can stay here, you should stay here in your new house” he teased her and elbowed her in the ribs.

“No, I don’t want you guys to go” Ali whined.

It was 11:30pm and everybody was tired after a long day full of fun activities. Ali included. They had gotten up early that day and had been busy for days getting ready for the party.

“I want everyone to stay here tonight. Nobody else leaves” she said firmly and looked from Kyle to Ashlyn who had been listening to the conversation. They looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders while Ali’s mind whirled around the number of actual beds in the house and the number of bodies currently in it. “We can put your mom and Gram in Meg’s room. Beth and Chris in the front bedroom. My mom will take the guest room and then your mom or Gram can move in there tomorrow night for the rest of their stay.”

“What about me? I can take the couch” Kyle offered.

“We can put my air mattress up in the new office” she paused and smiled and kissed Ashlyn’s cheek as she said it “for Syd and Dom. And then you can either sleep with mom or I’ll make up a bed for you on the couch in the living room” she looked at Kyle as she finished. “It’s quieter in there than in the family room.”

Ashlyn raised her eyebrows. “Wow, ok that’ll work. Are you sure?”

“I am.” Ali smiled broadly. “And we’ll all have a big breakfast together and then decide what to do from there.” She looked at Kyle and Ashlyn who were both grinning back at her. “What’s the point of having such a big house if you don’t fill it up every once in a while?”

After they had made sure all of their guests were comfortable and had clean towels and everything they needed for the night the happy couple finally found themselves alone in bed. Ali was on her back with Ashlyn tucked in against her side for a change. The brunette idly played with the hem of Ashlyn’s sleep shorts on the leg that was across her hips. The blonde traced patterns on Ali’s chest as they talked about their big day. Ashlyn wanted Ali to move in the very next week. Not only was her argument emotional: “I just want you here all the time, right away”; but it was also practical: “But Chris will still be here and he can help move all the big heavy stuff. It’ll be perfect!”

Ali, although bolstered by the talk they had upstairs in the office, was still hesitant to jump right in. She didn’t want Ashlyn’s family to spend their week of vacation helping her move. She wanted Ashlyn to spend time with her mom and family so they could try to come to terms with Grandma Lilian and all that they had learned. 

She also had a practical argument and that was that her house wasn’t ready to be packed up and moved. Not to mention where were they going to put Ali’s things? It was great and romantic to move in together but they had to figure out how to mix all of their things together. They certainly had room but that was never the real challenge for a newly cohabitating couple. Whose stuff went where and how to tell the person you love that you can’t stand their favorite chair were the true struggles. 

They lay there together talking in the dark for almost two hours that night, trying to figure all those things out. They were excited and nervous and exhausted towards the end.

“Tell me about the flowers. I didn’t get the chance to ask you because of all my adorable freaking out and everything” Ali joked. “I know you picked them out for a reason. You’re so sweet to me” she leaned up and kissed the keeper’s jaw. They had switched back to their more usual position with Ali nestled into Ashlyn’s side about halfway through their talk.

“Oh yeah, we didn’t really get to that, did we?” Ashlyn chuckled. “It’s flax and it represents domesticity. It was a domestic symbol back in ancient times. I thought they were pretty too.” She explained, stifling a yawn. 

“They’re very pretty and I love them and I love my new office.” Ali sighed contentedly and wrapped her leg around the blonde’s abdomen to pull her closer.

“I’m so happy baby. You made me the happiest woman in the world tonight. I love you” Ashlyn whispered into Ali’s forehead as she pressed her lips to it for one last kiss.

“I love you too” the brunette murmured. “Sleep well love.”

//

The Harrises were staying through the week so they could go to the Breakers game on Sunday 7-31. Ashlyn would have training during the week but she could spend time with them in the late afternoons and evenings. Deb and Kyle both flew home Sunday late afternoon after spending the day much as they had spent Saturday. They all hung out together and ate a lot of good food, told a lot of fun and embarrassing stories about each other, laughed and teased and joked with each other and got to know the Harris clan better. The whole group had gone to the cemetery to visit the four graves there, Lilian, John, Eddie and Jack. It meant so much more to all of them having learned part of their story.

Ali got back to work knowing that she would be taking a vacation week in August and slacking off a little bit during the Breakers three week break for the Olympics. She also had to figure out what to do with all of her things and try to sell her house. It seemed like a daunting task and she wasn’t sure exactly where to start. She wanted to give the Harrises some time without her so she stayed at her own house Monday night and then again Wednesday night after hanging out with Sydney. She and the coach made a preliminary action plan for sorting through all of her things and deciding what to keep and what to donate. One of the only advantages of having such a small house was that you could only accumulate so many things before you started to run out of room. Sydney also broached the subject of selling the house. She told her best friend that she and Dom were getting ready to start looking for a small starter house in the area and were seriously thinking about buying Ali’s if she really was planning to sell it. Sydney knew the house inside and out. She had been with Ali every step of the way when she bought it. She knew the good things about it and the bad things about it and the good far outweighed the bad.

Ashlyn continued to be a good hostess and she loved having Gram and her mom and her brother and Beth staying with her. She and Chris took them to all of the places they used to go when they would visit in the summers. And they took them to the places they always wanted to go but never did. The keeper was very aware of the effect the vacation was having on her mom. Tammye carried more guilt with her than most people would in four lifetimes. She didn’t talk about it much, just as she had learned from her mother’s example. Ashlyn and Chris and Tammye had a couple of really deep hard conversations about regrets and past mistakes and moving forward. Tammye told them how much she loved them and appreciated them giving her the second chance to be their mom. She told them how much she regretted not mending fences with her own mother sooner. But she was grateful for the time they did have together before Lilian died. The keeper might have imagined it but she was sure she saw some weight lifted off of her mother’s shoulders by the end of that week. Ashlyn talked with her mom about her new therapist and offered to take Tammye with her Thursday morning when she went to see Mattie before training. Tammye declined and explained that she had spoken with her own therapist over the phone already that week and was proud of Ashlyn for getting herself back on track. 

Ali and Ashlyn hadn’t been able to get much time together since the party. Thursday was Ali’s actual birthday and the keeper hated waking up alone and not being able to kiss her happy birthday right away. She made a mental note to never let that happen again. Ashlyn wanted to celebrate her beautiful brunette every minute of her birthday. That day she had to settle for some time in the afternoon with her family all around them. The blonde took Ali by the hand and led her up to her bedroom and sat her at the foot of the bed just like she had done when she gave her last year’s birthday gift, albeit six weeks late.

“Ash, you didn’t have to get me anything. You threw me a huge fabulous party with all of my favorite people on the planet. You’ve already outdone yourself” Ali said sweetly as she watched her girlfriend go to her closet and bring her a gift-wrapped box just like last time. A feeling of déjà vu swept over the brunette as she looked at the exact same size box.

“I could buy you something every single day and it still wouldn’t seem like enough to celebrate my favorite day of the whole year. I love you so much Ali and next year, for the first freaking time, we’re going to do your birthday right. We’re going to spend the whole day together so I can pamper you and spoil you and celebrate you.” She sat next to Ali on the bed and kissed her cheek as the brunette giggled and blushed at her heartfelt sentiment. “But here’s just a little something for you for today.”

Ali opened the gift box and gasped in surprise at another beautiful framed sketch. She lifted it out of the box and studied it.

“Oh Ashlyn it’s beautiful” she started, without taking her eyes off of the sketch. “And I’m not just saying that because it’s of me” she giggled and winked at the keeper. “I love it honey. You’re so talented. And I love how you framed it to match the other one” she nodded towards the bedroom wall where the first sketch hung. “Thank you so much. I love it. And I love you” she said as she gave her girlfriend a long and deep kiss. 

“I’m glad you like it” Ashlyn said breathlessly as they broke the kiss for air after several minutes. “And thanks for not telling me how creepy it is that I sketch you when you’re sleeping” she added and looked down shyly.

“Babe, if I could draw like that I’d be sketching you when you sleep too” Ali quipped. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but I have a couple of pictures that I took when you were sleeping that I keep and look at every so often.” She blushed a little and brought up a folder of pictures on her phone. “Do you wanna see them?”

The keeper took her phone and scrolled through about thirty pictures of herself in various situations. Most of them were posed and silly and she remembered when they were taken. But there were a handful that she had never seen before. Three of them were of her sleeping. One of them was even from the same bachelorette party weekend in Provincetown that the blonde’s sketch had come from. 

“Hey” Ashlyn said as she recognized the bed and the sheets and the light. “That’s where I sketched you too” she smiled and looked up at Ali. “The light in there was really beautiful in the mornings.”

“That wasn’t the only thing in there that was beautiful in the mornings” Ali flirted and kissed her girl again. 

They kissed for a few minutes and Ashlyn finally deepened it, unable to resist any longer. Ali moaned softly when she felt the keeper’s tongue slide into her mouth and they lay back on the bed, softly stroking each other’s arms and cheeks as they kissed. The kissing turned into a medium level make-out session, both women trying to contain their desire for more. Just as Ashlyn considered trying to give Ali a quickie and rolled on top of the brunette they heard Gram’s voice calling up the back stairs.

“Birthday girl, Bashy, dinner’s ready” came the old woman’s warm voice.

“Fuck” the keeper said, frustrated, as she rolled off of her girlfriend.

“We have got to stop spending all our free time in houses full of other people” Ali complained, trying to catch her breath. They looked at each other as they lay there on their backs and started to giggle.

Ashlyn had wanted to take her girlfriend out for a fancy birthday dinner but Ali refused to let her spend any more of the Harris vacation time on her birthday. She told the keeper that she could take her out next week instead, during the August break. Gram wanted to cook Ali a nice birthday dinner and it ended up being a wonderful compromise. After dinner the Harrises and Whitney and Ali spent the evening playing cards and then a rousing game of charades. They also dedicated a good amount of time to talking about the wedding plans for Beth and Chris since their October date was approaching quickly. By the time Ashlyn got to the door of her bedroom, eager to join the birthday girl who was hopefully in her birthday suit after having a little soak in the bubble bath the keeper had prepared for her, it was almost midnight.

“Hey Sis!” Chris whisper-shouted from the bottom of the back stairs as Ashlyn’s hand hovered over the door knob at the top of the stairs. “Come here, quick!” he said, alarm sounding in his voice as he moved back through the kitchen towards the mudroom.

When the blonde joined him in the mudroom she saw the problem. The washing machine was overflowing and there were water and suds all over the tile floor. Chris was on his hands and knees with a roll of paper towels vainly trying to keep up with the output from the machine.

“I’m sorry Bash, I think I broke it” he said looking sad and apologetic. 

As much as Ashlyn would have enjoyed making him feel like it was his fault, she just couldn’t do it. He’d been so great all week acting in her stead as the tour guide when she had to go to training. And she wouldn’t soon forget the mournful reverence he showed when they visited the cemetery again, just the two of them the afternoon before. She had never seen him so emotional and she was touched that he still felt comfortable enough to cry in front of her. Nobody knew what it had been like to grow up in her shoes, except for him. He was the only one who truly knew what she had gone through as a little girl and a young girl and a teenager. The entire vacation had been very emotional for all of them and the blonde felt closer to him than she ever had. She just couldn’t bring herself to tease him about the mess in the mudroom.

“Nah, it was on the fritz before” she said as she leaned over and shut it off. “We use the fuck out of it between beach stuff and all our trainings and then regular laundry. Not your fault Bubba.” 

She smiled warmly at him, still on his knees in front of her. He looked back up at her and blinked, not sure how to receive the kindness she had just shown him.

“You go on up to Beth. I got it” she said as she moved to grab the mop from the cleaning closet next to the desk. “Is there something in there you need?” she asked looking at the oozing washing machine.

“Nope. Just trying to be helpful and wash the towels from today. Some help huh?” he grimaced and stood with his hand grabbing the back of his neck, just like his sister always did when she was uncomfortable.

“You’ve been great Bub. Don’t let it go to your head or anything, but thanks for taking care of everybody for me all week” she said as she started mopping up the water.

“Yeah, make sure you say that again tomorrow in front of Beth, will ya?” he chuckled. “I wanna make sure she doesn’t change her mind about marrying me in eleven weeks.”

“Are you worried?” the blonde leaned on the mop and looked at her brother carefully.

“Nah, not really” he said as he stood and smiled then turned to walk towards the front hall to go upstairs. He stopped in the doorway and winked as he struck a goofy model’s pose and said “Who could resist all of this?” He stuck his ass out towards his sister and wiggled it back and forth.

“Get that shit out of here man! I’m gonna have nightmares now!” Ashlyn teased him back and smacked him in his ass with the wet mop as he laughed and escaped into the hall.

It took her over an hour to get the mess cleaned up and to hang the towels out on the line in the backyard to dry out. She hoped nobody thought they were clean and thought about making a sign or something before deciding to just hope for the best and go to bed. When she finally opened the door to her bedroom she saw Ali sitting up in bed, fast asleep. The book she was reading was against her chest and she looked so peaceful. Ashlyn got ready for bed as quietly as she could and then walked around to Ali’s side of the bed. She carefully took the glasses off of her pretty face, folded them and put them on the nightstand. Then she picked the book up, trying hard not to wake her sleeping beauty, and put it next to the glasses and shut off her light. Once she got into bed she leaned over and kissed Ali lightly on her temple.

“Good night sweet birthday girl” she whispered.

//

They had made such an effort in the two weeks leading up to the party, after Ashlyn’s Orlando disappearing act, and Ali really didn’t want to let a whole week go by feeling disconnected. Friday morning when she left the big old house for the day she grabbed a few extra things to take with her for later in the afternoon. She texted Ashlyn that she would be outside the Breakers’ facility waiting for her after training that afternoon. Just after 3pm the blonde got into Ali’s truck and they drove back to her small house in Stoneham.

“What’s going on hon? Is everything ok?” she asked as they drove.

“Everything’s fine. I’m just kidnapping you for a couple of hours, that’s all” Ali answered her and winked. “I miss you babe.”

“Oooh I like the sound of that” Ashlyn chuckled and brought the brunette’s free hand to her lips for a kiss. “I should let the fambam know I won’t be home...”

“They know not to expect us before dinner. I’m taking everybody to the Lobster Pool tonight. Well, if you behave I suppose you can come too” she smirked at the blonde as she drove.

When they got to Ali’s house fifteen minutes later she told the keeper to go up and take a shower while she got things ready in the bedroom.

“But I didn’t bring any extra clothes...”

“Babe, seriously, have we met? I took care of it. You won’t need any clothes until we leave for dinner but I brought you some so don’t worry.” She had followed her girlfriend up the stairs and gave her a long slow kiss when they got to the top. “Now get in the shower. I have plans for you.”

When Ashlyn walked into the bedroom twenty minutes later, wrapped in a towel and combing out her damp hair, she grinned and felt her heart skip a beat. The curtains were drawn and there were candles lit on the dresser as well as the shelf in the front dormer window. There was music playing and Ali had pulled all the covers back off of the bed and piled them up on the floor in the corner of the room. Ashlyn liked what she saw very much. Ali walked into the room behind her and kissed her bare shoulder as she passed her and set a tray down on the nightstand.

“Here, come sit” she patted the edge of the bed by the nightstand and handed the keeper a tall glass with her protein drink. 

Ashlyn did as she was told and sat on the bed and started to drink her protein. She had a protein drink every afternoon after training and she thought it was so sweet and typical of Ali to remember that. She looked at the tray and saw what looked like some sort of whiskey drink, a banana, a protein bar and two bottles of water.

“Shit I forgot my wine. I’ll be right back” Ali said and kissed the blonde quickly on the lips as she headed downstairs. “Do you want anything else babe?”

“Just you gorgeous” she answered truthfully.

The brunette came back into the room two minutes later with a big glass of wine in her hand. She stood in front of Ashlyn and took a drink, enjoying it with a quiet hum. She was pleased to see that the keeper had finished her protein drink and eaten half of the banana. The blonde held the rest of the banana in her hand and was still chewing when Ali leaned over and bit the rest of the banana off and started chewing it herself. The brunette set her wine glass on the night stand and took off her pants and her polo shirt so she wore just her panties and bra as she finished eating the banana. The wine and banana wasn’t a great pairing but her teasing banana move had achieved the desired effect. Ashlyn’s eyes were already starting to darken in anticipation. Ali climbed on the bed, knelt behind the keeper and started rubbing the tops of her shoulders for her. 

“Did you get enough to eat?” she asked as she softly kissed the back of Ashlyn’s neck.

“Yeah, thanks, it was perfect” Ashlyn answered and swallowed hard.

Ali reached around and unknotted the towel so it fell to Ashlyn’s waist. She moved her strong fingers all around the blonde’s shoulders and back, rubbing the aches and pains from training away. She didn’t use the official sports massage oil because she didn’t want to waste time with Ashlyn showering again. Regular old massage oil would have to be ok.

“God that feels good” Ashlyn moaned out as she relaxed her neck and shoulders.

“I made you a jack and coke to help you relax too. Have you tried it yet? Is it strong enough?” she asked as she continued moving her hands over the keeper’s soft skin.

Ashlyn reached over and took a sip of her whiskey drink. It was good and strong and she had used whiskey stones instead of ice cubes so it wouldn’t get watered down as the ice melted. 

“Oh yeah, that’s perfect baby. Nice and strong.” She took another sip and put the glass back down, feeling the alcohol pleasantly burning down her throat.

“Good” Ali said as she kissed behind the blonde’s ear and nibbled down her neck. She took a hand towel she had brought in and wiped off her hands and gently wiped the excess oil off of Ashlyn’s back too. She trailed kisses down her spine as she went and loved it when she saw goosebumps appear half way down.

“Mmmmm baby” Ashlyn said and reached around behind her to try and touch the brunette.

“Almost ready honey” Ali said seductively as she took her bra and panties off and dropped them, one at a time, on the floor in front of the keeper. 

She pressed her naked chest into Ashlyn’s back and moaned when she felt the keeper’s warm skin. The blonde reached behind her again and this time found the back of Ali’s strong thighs. She ran her hands up and down squeezing the brunette’s ass and letting her own moan escape her lips. Ali reached around and put her hands underneath the towel at the blonde’s waist. She raked her nails gently from Ashlyn’s lower abs up over her stomach and ribs and breasts and chest. She carefully avoided touching the soft pink nipples. The brunette worked her tongue around the edge of the keeper’s ear and sucked the earlobe into her mouth, licking it and biting it and then licking it again.

“Jesus” Ashlyn groaned as her flesh broke out in goosebumps and her core twitched.

“Mmmmm” Ali hummed into her girlfriend’s ear as she moved her open palms over the soft pink nipples and felt them start to harden. She moved her palms in circles, pressing on them as they stiffened under her touch. The brunette licked and nipped her way across Ashlyn’s jaw and gasped when the keeper turned her head and met her lips with a hungry kiss. The blonde’s kiss was passionate and strong and she pushed Ali backwards with it, standing and turning her whole body so she was hovering over the brunette on the bed.

“You drive me wild baby” Ashlyn growled as she pressed her body against her girlfriend’s, wanting to feel as much contact as possible. She kissed Ali hard, devouring her mouth as her hands slid underneath her back and squeezed their two bodies tightly together. Ali wrapped her arms around the keeper’s back and fought for her place in the kiss. She thrust her tongue against Ashlyn’s and moaned loudly into her hot mouth. When the blonde finally pulled back to breathe Ali rolled them over so she was on top and she sat up, moving both hands to fondle and squeeze Ashlyn’s beautiful breasts.

“Fuck Ash, you’re so Goddamned sexy” she said breathlessly. “I swear, I don’t even know what to do with myself half the time you make me so crazy.”

Ashlyn’s hands were on the brunette’s hips and she started pushing and pulling her back and forth over her own mound, loving the friction she was feeling.

“Mmmm babe, listen” Ali tried to talk but she was getting so turned on that she felt a little dizzy. “We don’t have a lot of time so we have to be” she paused as she felt a gush of wetness between her legs as Ashlyn continued to move her back and forth. “Fuuuck...” she groaned and closed her eyes for a minute. “Babe” she tried again, forcing her eyes back open and focusing on the darkening hazel ones below her. “We have to be smart. I...” she trembled slightly as she started to grind down in time with the blonde’s pushes and pulls. “I brought the toys Ash.” She closed her eyes again and felt another wave of passion soak Ashlyn’s mound and lower abs.

“You brought the toys huh” Ashlyn purred, loving how wet the brunette was and loving that it was all over her. “What do you wanna do first baby?” she asked and tilted her hips up slightly making Ali moan loudly and tilt her head back. “Do you want me to tie you up?” she asked evenly. It was taking all her self-control not to throw the brunette on the bed and fuck her senseless right that second.

“Nuh-uh” Ali answered and tilted her head forward again, her mouth open just a little bit as she licked her lips and shook her head from side to side.

“Do you wanna tie me up?” Ashlyn asked, amazed at how turned on she got just from saying the words. She felt her own juices start pooling between her legs.

Ali bit her bottom lip and nodded her head up and down as she locked eyes with her sexy keeper.

“Yeah?” the blonde asked, just to be sure, watching Ali’s face for any hesitation or fear.

“Yeah” Ali said as she shivered again, either from the contact with Ashlyn or from the thought of her tied up in the red satin ribbons.

“Ok, where do you want me?” she sat up, still holding Ali in her lap, the friction gone but her mouth on one of the brunette’s breasts.

“God. Damn. Ash.” Ali whimpered as the blonde brought her nipple to quick attention. 

She couldn’t focus on anything except the incredible pleasure she felt from Ashlyn’s tongue and mouth on her breast. She made herself open her eyes again. Maybe this hadn’t been the best time to try the new toys. But there hadn’t been a good time since they bought them two months ago. But time restrictions and dinner plans were not good bedfellows. Ali put her knees on the bed and lifted her center off of her girlfriend.

“Up, get up here by the headboard” the brunette managed to get out as she fought for control of herself.

Ashlyn let her breast go with a pop and gave the brunette a lascivious smirk. “Yes ma’am” she said as she turned and backed up towards the headboard. 

Ali crawled over to the other nightstand and picked up the red satin ribbons. She had already opened both dildos and the ribbons and washed everything that needed to be washed before laying it all out on the nightstand. She had covered it with a pillowcase so Ashlyn couldn’t see everything right away when she came into the room. She knelt next to Ashlyn’s hip and smirked at her when the blonde trailed her hand across the brunette’s lap and thighs. Ali sat back on her heels as she looked at the headboard, trying to figure out how to tie the sexy keeper up. Ordinarily Ashlyn would have let the brunette work out the solution on her own but the clock was ticking and her clit was throbbing and the idea of fucking Ali with a strap-on was making her all kinds of eager to move things along. She put her hand on one of the ribbons in the brunette’s hands.

“Can I help?” she asked as sweetly as she could. “I know you can do it, but we’re on the clock and I can’t wait to fuck you and taste you and...”

“Yes, yes” Ali quickly cut her off, turned on by her words alone. “Just tell me what to do.”

The blonde took a ribbon and turned to look at the headboard. There was nothing to tie it to except the post itself near the bottom of the headboard, right by the mattress. She slipped one end of the 4’ ribbon through the sewn-in loop at the other end, creating a cuff. She put her left hand through it and pulled it tight to her against her wrist and lower forearm. Then she loosened it just a little bit to show Ali how those particular ribbons or restraints worked. They were soft and silky so they wouldn’t hurt. And they were wide enough, about 2-1/2”, and thick enough so they wouldn’t cinch or pinch her skin or cut off her circulation. Ali repeated what the keeper had done with the ribbon in her own hand, creating the cuff and then slipping it over Ashlyn’s right hand and tightening it as the blonde had done. Ashlyn looked at the length of the ribbon and put herself in the middle of the bed, so she would be, roughly, in a ‘Y’ position once the ribbons were tied to the bottom of the headboard. She was figuring out how much slack to leave when she tied the loose end of the ribbon to the headboard. If she left too much slack then her wrist would just slide right out of the cuff. She explained to Ali what she was doing and then told Ali to tie the first ribbon while she lay there in position. The brunette tied it off and Ashlyn tested it out. It was a little loose but they could just make the other one tighter and she would scooch over a couple of inches on the bed to make it work without re-tying the first one. Ali looked down, disappointed.

“Hey, I wouldn’t have done any better Al. This is all trial and error and if you’re going to get down on yourself then we shouldn’t be doing this at all baby.” Ashlyn looked into the brunette’s eyes and waited to see how she would respond. Ali liked to be in control to begin with so this should have been a natural thing for her to start with. But if she was going to be a perfectionist about it on their very first time then it might not work at all. Ali met the blonde’s eyes with a confident look and nodded her head. She leaned down and kissed Ashlyn slowly, gently biting her lip as she pulled back. 

“Alright then. Now do the same thing with this one but don’t tie it too tightly yet. We may have to adjust it once I test it out” she winked at her excited girlfriend.

After one re-tie of the second ribbon Ashlyn was officially restrained and more than ready to go. They only had about an hour before they needed to be driving up to Gloucester and that was not nearly enough time to do everything she wanted to do with Ali. She knew they wouldn’t have time for the strap-on and that was very disappointing. She had to remind herself that Ali hadn’t done any of that before so she didn’t factor in the time it would take. Restraints weren’t something to be rushed through anyway. So they would just focus on the sexy red ribbons and enjoy the other toys next week when their visitors were gone.

“Is it too tight babe?” Ali asked as she kissed the blonde again, exploring her mouth with her tongue. 

“No, it’s good. I’m good” she answered and tried to suck Ali’s tongue back into her mouth but Ali’s tongue was too strong.

“Hey now” Ali purred as she sat back up and threw her leg over Ashlyn’s hips to straddle her. The sight of her sexy keeper tied to the bed made Ali’s heart race and her core twitch. She was already wet but that view brought even more wetness to her center. “Jesus Christ Ashlyn...” she exhaled as she stared.

The keeper saw the hunger in Ali’s eyes. They were dark and lidded and she felt the brunette’s passion on her lower abs and inhaled sharply at the sensation.

“You are so fucking hot” the blonde said in a low, hungry voice. She tilted her hips up, already looking for relief for her aching clit. Ashlyn desperately wanted Ali’s mouth on her and her fingers inside her. “I’m all yours baby.”

Ali smiled seductively and placed another passionate kiss on her girlfriend’s lips, moaning into her mouth when she felt Ashlyn’s tongue taking control. She pulled back and hovered above the blonde for a moment trying to remember her plan. Ali had thought about this for two long months and played it out in her head a number of times. But now that it was actually happening she couldn’t remember any of it. The blood was pounding in her ears and making it hard to think. Or maybe it was her gorgeous, naked, tied-up girlfriend beneath her that was making it hard to think. ‘Do something!’ she yelled at herself.

“You ok up there? Or are you just plotting my torture?” she gave a throaty chuckle and licked her lips as she stared up at Ali.

“I love you” was all the brunette could muster, but it was everything she was feeling in that moment.

She kissed the sensitive skin behind Ashlyn’s ear that was the blonde’s secret weakness. Ali licked and nibbled it before moving down her neck to her pulse point. She spent a moment sucking there and biting the collar bone before soothing it with her tongue as Ashlyn hissed in pleasure. The brunette lowered her breasts down so that her stiff nipples dragged down the keeper’s stomach to her belly button and then back up again. Ali sucked on one breast as she pinched the erect nipple of the other one. She rolled it between her finger and thumb and then squeezed the whole breast. She moved her other hand up into Ashlyn’s long blonde hair and massaged her scalp as she continued working on her breasts.

“Shit, yessss” Ashlyn groaned out and closed her eyes. It killed her not to be able to grab Ali’s ass right at that moment. 

Ali switched breasts and hands and pressed the bottom of her ribcage down against the keeper’s clit at the same time, giving her some pressure and relief for a minute. She immediately felt Ashlyn push up against her and grunt.

She moved up, dragging her nipples across Ashlyn’s stiff and red ones, and kissed the blonde’s lips once more before lowering herself down again. Ali licked between her breasts and down past her ribs. She pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses all over her stomach and then nibbled from hip to hip making more goosebumps appear. Ashlyn’s hips were thrusting up into Ali’s chest, happy again to feel some resistance. The brunette trailed both hands down the keeper’s body. They travelled over her breasts, tweaking both nipples once, and down her flat stomach. She moved them over Ashlyn’s impatient hips and down her muscled thighs and past her knees to her shins. Ali looked up to see Ashlyn’s beautiful face contorted in frustration. Her mouth was open and her breathing was speeding up as she looked back at the brunette.

“Ali, baby, please...” she begged quietly. “Fuck me, please.”

“What’s that babe?” Ali teased. “I couldn’t quite hear you.” 

Ashlyn pushed her head back against the pillow in frustration as the brunette kissed the top of her mound and started bringing her hands back up the keeper’s legs.

“Please fuck me” the blonde said clearly and loudly, watching Ali’s face twitch when she heard the plea.

The brunette may have looked like she was in control but she was losing her mind. All she could smell was the tantalizing scent of Ashlyn’s dripping pussy. She moved slowly, trying to steady herself, and put her warm mouth on top of the blonde’s clit. She sealed it with her lips and blew hot air all around it until Ashlyn moaned out loud and yelled.

“Fucking hell!”

Ali brought her right hand up through the keeper’s soaking wet folds and spread them out with her fingers, teasing Ashlyn’s entrance. She felt the blonde buck her hips twice and she knew it wouldn’t be long. They had both gotten so worked up as soon as they got onto the bed that too much teasing would just be mean.

“You want my fingers inside you?” Ali husked out. “You want me to fuck you with my fingers, sexy?”

“Yesss, shit, yes!” Ashlyn answered hoarsely as she pulled against the restraints.

Ali watched the muscles in her arms flex and struggle against the sexy satin ribbons as she finally gave up and threw her head back against the pillow. Fuck that was hot as hell. Ali felt another gush between her legs and couldn’t wait any longer. She put her mouth back on the blonde’s clit and licked all around it twice. She sucked it in and flicked it with her tongue a few times.

“Oh yeah, unhhh” Ashlyn groaned.

The brunette moved her mouth all over the keeper’s pussy, eagerly licking and sucking every inch of flesh she could find. She was going to give Ashlyn what she wanted but first she just had to let her tongue have a taste. She moved her wet fingers up to the blonde’s breast and started rolling the nipple between them as she thrust her tongue deep inside her girlfriend’s center. Ali moaned out loudly as she tasted the keeper’s passion and felt her walls starting to tighten around it.

“Jesus fucking Christ you taste good” Ali enthused after she worked her tongue inside the blonde a few more times, her face covered in the new wave of passion that had just come out of her girlfriend. She licked up some more of the wetness that had dripped down Ashlyn’s entrance and then got up on her knees.

“Wh-where are you going?” Ashlyn asked desperately, straining against the satin again.

“Nowhere. Just relax and I’m going to take care of you honey” Ali answered, trying to calm her down. 

The brunette was so worked up herself that she wasn’t sure what she was even doing any more. Her thoughts were hazy and all she wanted was to come and to make Ashlyn come with her. She kissed up both of the blonde’s arms, first one, then the other and then gave her keeper a searing kiss that was almost too much for both of them. Ali broke the kiss after a couple of minutes and put another pillow under Ashlyn’s head, propping her up more.

“You tell me if you need another pillow, if you can’t reach me” Ali whispered into her ear and bit her earlobe hard.

Ashlyn looked confused but that look changed to excited as she watched her gorgeous girlfriend turn around and straddle her backwards. The keeper licked her lips as Ali bent over and moved her sexy ass back towards Ashlyn’s waiting mouth.

“Oh fuck yeah Al. God I love you” Ashlyn practically yelled as Ali’s soaking wet pussy hovered over her face. She tried to reach for her hips and pull her into position but forgot, again, about the restraints. “Fuck!” she yelled in frustration.

“You ok?” Ali asked and tried to look behind her.

“I’m fine. Can you come down more, lower?” she asked and waited while the brunette lowered herself down onto her face. “Mmmmmmm” Ashlyn hummed and moaned as she finally got a taste of her girlfriend. “Perfect” she mumbled into Ali’s folds and quickly went to work with her tongue.

“Oh Jesus” the brunette exhaled in pleasure when she felt Ashlyn’s strong tongue everywhere at once. 

She got lost in it for a minute before remembering that she was supposed to be getting the blonde off. Ali grabbed the back of the keeper’s thighs and pulled them up towards her so Ashlyn’s knees were bent. Their bodies were pressed together, Ali’s stiff nipples on top of Ashlyn’s abs and Ashlyn’s underneath Ali’s. The brunette dropped her head down between the keeper’s legs and started lapping at her sensitive clit. She felt Ashlyn’s hips buck again and didn’t waste any more time. Ali pushed the blonde’s right leg down to the side and slipped a finger into her wet center. She quickly added a second finger and started thrusting.

“Oh, unnhhh, yes, Al. Fuck that feels good.”

Ali shivered when she felt the vibrations from Ashlyn’s words against her core. She increased her thrusts and sucked on the blonde’s clit. Ashlyn just groaned.

“Is that what you want? You want more baby?” Ali asked seductively and felt a bead of sweat between her shoulders.

“Unnhhh, yessssss, please... more.” 

The brunette felt Ashlyn’s walls starting to clench around her fingers and she pushed them in farther and thrust them faster and deeper. She felt the blonde’s leg start to shake as she began flicking her clit with her tongue. Ashlyn’s hips were rolling and bucking and the brunette kept her tongue working on her clit. She could feel the keeper’s tongue losing its’ rhythm in her own folds as she started panting for breath. Ali sucked on her clit hard and curled her fingers up into Ashlyn’s g-spot a few times and the blonde came hard. She threw her head back against the pillows and cried out Ali’s name so loudly she was sure the neighbors must have heard it. Ali kept pumping, slowly, as Ashlyn rode out the powerful orgasm, her whole body shaking and convulsing. A light sheen of sweat had broken out all over the blonde’s body and Ali felt her skin sliding against Ashlyn’s as she came down from her high. Ali was so close to her own release that she wanted to cry in frustration.

All of sudden it occurred to her that she was laying on top of Ashlyn’s face and the blonde was tied up and had no way to move her if she needed to. She panicked for a minute, jumped off of the keeper and turned around quickly to check on her.

“Ash, baby, are you ok?” she moved up towards the blonde’s face to make sure she was still breathing.

“Oh honey, I’m so fucking good” Ashlyn slurred out, still trying to recover from her orgasm. 

Her face was back in the pillow and turned a little to one side with the most blissful look Ali had ever seen on it, despite being covered in all of the brunette’s juices. 

“Fuck that was amazing” the blonde murmured. “I think you killed me though.” She chuckled and tried to move her arms again. That time she winced and Ali quickly moved Ashlyn’s body up more towards the headboard so there would be enough slack in the restraints to ease her hands out of them. The keeper pulled her arms down to her sides and bent her elbows a few times, still with her eyes closed and that goofy grin on her face.

“Are your arms ok? What about your shoulders? Fuck, I didn’t think about what this might do to your shoulders Ash...”

“Al...Al...Ali!” Ashlyn raised her voice so the brunette could hear her. “They’re fine, I promise.” Ashlyn opened her eyes and looked at her to make sure she knew everything was ok. “I promise.”

Ali kissed her keeper then, a slow kiss that was deep and gentle at the same time.

“You have so much of me all over you” she giggled as she kissed the blonde’s face and chin. 

“Well you’re one to talk” Ashlyn teased and reached behind Ali’s head to hold it steady while she rubbed her messy face against the brunette’s even messier face.

“Alright, alright” Ali giggled some more and pulled her face away. 

Ali leaned sideways across Ashlyn’s stomach, resting on her bent elbow and facing the blonde. She watched the keeper flex her arms and rotate her wrists as they smiled back at each other.

“So, what did you think?” Ashlyn asked as she reached over and moved some brunette hair over Ali’s shoulder.

“Um, well I missed having your hands on me” she chuckled. “I guess I hadn’t factored that in before. But it was hot as hell seeing you tied up like that. I had no idea that would turn me on like that.”

Ashlyn quirked an eyebrow at her. “No idea?” she challenged the brunette.

“Ok, maybe a tiny idea” Ali giggled. “But I was worried about you too.” She pursed her lips and thought some more. “But the more we do it the better it will get I bet, and I won’t be afraid I’m hurting you.”

“Oh, so you think you want to do this again sometime huh?” Ashlyn asked, teasing her just a little but not wanting to embarrass her or kink shame her.

Ali blushed. “Yeah, I do. I want to try it too. Being tied up I mean.” She traced circles around Ashlyn’s chest as they talked.

“Oh man, I don’t know about that” the keeper shook her head and raised her eyebrows.

“What do you mean?” Ali asked, a little indignantly.

“Listen Al, you’re the one who likes to be in control. And there’s nothing wrong with that. At all. But being tied up is all about not having any control and I’m just not sure you’ll like it very much.” She smiled at the small pout on her girlfriend’s face. “But what the hell do I know? We’ll try it and find out. That’s the whole point, right?”

“Right” Ali agreed and then, after a minute, tweaked the blonde’s nipple.

“Ow, hey!”

“That’s for calling me a control freak.” 

“Well, I’m not wrong” Ashlyn teased again but covered her nipples defensively before the brunette could exact more revenge.

“No, you’re probably not” Ali sighed and leaned forward to kiss the keeper’s hand-covered breast.

“How did you like being on top with the 69?” the blonde asked, moving her hand away cautiously so Ali could kiss her breast.

“I liked it. Of course I was worried I was going to suffocate you, but other than that...” she paused and thought about how to describe it. She remembered the time they had sex in Ashlyn’s bathroom and she had been bent over the counter. “It doesn’t make sense since I’m such a control freak, but I like how vulnerable and open and exposed it feels. I don’t know. It’s kind of exhilarating.”

“See, now maybe you’re on to something. Even you control freaks like to let your hair down and feel open and vulnerable sometimes” Ashlyn smiled warmly at her girlfriend. “I think that’s awesome.”

Ashlyn moved her left arm down to Ali’s legs and lovingly caressed them. The brunette felt her clit ache again when the keeper’s fingers moved up her thigh to her hip and then down to her lower abs. The blonde moved the back of her fingers across Ali’s dark curls, innocently enough she thought, but she was surprised when her girlfriend closed her eyes and moaned. Ashlyn’s eyes went wide as she made a realization.

“Did you not come?” she asked, slightly alarmed.

“No but I can...”

“Baby I’m so sorry” Ashlyn sat up and cradled her across her lap. “You jumped off me so fast I thought you came and were super sensitive. I’m sorry honey.” She leaned down and kissed her lips.

“I was afraid I suffocated you and you couldn’t move me because you were tied up so I jumped off to make sure you were still alive back there” she giggled as she explained.

“And I’m sitting her chatting your ear off like an idiot. God I’m so sorry Ali” she kissed her again and let her hand roam around her small but beautiful breasts. “Let’s get that taken care of right away, shall we?”

Ali looked over at the clock on the nightstand and frowned.

“We have to leave in a half hour and we have to shower...”

“Let me take care of you first honey, please” the keeper looked pleadingly into Ali’s eyes. “Tell me what you want and we’ll go fast, but awesome, but fast.”

Ashlyn was true to her word. She gave Ali a very big orgasm, they both showered and were only fifteen minutes late to pick everyone else up and take them to dinner. She was such a good girlfriend that she didn’t even call Ali out for being a complete and total top when she asked to sit on Ashlyn’s face. The brunette went so far as to put both of Ashlyn’s hands where she wanted them, one on her hip and one on her ass, and then basically got herself off with one hand on her own nipple and her other hand rubbing her own clit while Ashlyn fucked her with her tongue. The blonde couldn’t have cared less. She would do whatever Ali wanted whenever she wanted it and thank her very nicely afterwards.


	22. Tammye

The Breakers won their second game all season when they beat the Orlando Pride 1-0 that Sunday night. It shouldn’t have mattered what team it was that they beat, but Ashlyn found it very fitting that it was Orlando. She felt like the Pride owed her for pushing her over the edge just three weeks earlier. Everybody was ecstatic. They had lost their last game but, for the first time all season, they had scored more than 1 goal. With the Orlando win it made two games in a row with something new to be proud of. The team had just acquired Tasha Dowie in the middle of July and the Orlando game had been her Breakers debut. The resulting impact was almost immediate. She was a striker and she had an engine that never quit when she was on the pitch. Her energy was infectious and the fans took to her right away. Everyone was hoping she could add some much needed offense to the squad. She seemed to be filling the void left from the Stephanie McCaffrey trade. The fact that they were 2-11-1 with a total of 7 points was still absolutely terrible but at that point they were a team looking for things to celebrate. And celebrate they did. 

The whole team went out afterwards and danced and drank and had a great time. They went out after every game but to be able to celebrate a victory was something truly special for them and they took advantage of it. The fact that it was also the last team function they had to be at for three weeks was just extra excitement. The Olympic break was finally upon them. They didn’t have to report back for training until Tuesday August 23rd and most of the players were going back to their homes across the country or on vacation. Or both. Three weeks was enough time to visit the family and then take off for some real rest and relaxation someplace gorgeous.

Sydney and Dom and Ken and Vicki had come to the game too. It was a 6pm start time on a Sunday evening and it was sold out, which was amazing considering how bad the team’s record was. Ali had driven the Harris contingent in to the game and they had all come out to celebrate afterwards, even Gram. But when the team left the bar and headed over to the after party at Kristie’s apartment Chris had driven the Harrises back to the big old house. Ashlyn wanted to go back with them because it was their last night of vacation but they all told her to stay and enjoy her victory celebration. Ken and Vicki came to the bar for a little while and Ali was happy to see them talking with Tammye and Gram. Ken and Ashlyn shared a big hug and the brunette could tell by the look on her girlfriend’s face that Ken must have complimented her game. It was one thing to have your girlfriend’s dad tell you that you had a good game. But when your girlfriend’s dad was a soccer coach and scout and one of the most respected soccer minds in the Northeast, well that meant a little bit more. Dom went home after the bar and skipped the after party because he had an early shift the next morning. He left his wife in Ali’s capable hands for the rest of the night. 

Tasha was Kristie’s new roommate and the Brit was a real character. She knew Whitney and Lolo Schillgard from her time playing for coach Beard in Liverpool. The party was a ton of fun but it was missing that certain Stephanie McCaffrey spark. The teammates drank some more and pigged out on pizza and played drinking games until the wee hours of the morning. Ashlyn, Whitney, Sydney and Ali discreetly left the party a little earlier than the rest but they had a much farther distance to get home than everybody else. Ali had stopped drinking shortly after they got to Kristie’s apartment so she was able to drive them home in Ashlyn’s jeep. Both players were drunk and they sat together in the backseat of the jeep singing and giggling and being best friends. Sydney laughed along with them and sometimes at them from the front seat until Ali dropped her off at her condo on their way up to Gloucester.

Monday morning Ali slipped out of bed and took a quick picture of her naked girlfriend half in and half out of the sheets and laying across the bed at a forty-five degree angle with her feet down at the bottom of Ali’s side of the bed. The brunette couldn’t even see her face. Ashlyn lay on her stomach and her hair was a big ball of blonde mess sticking up and out in every direction. Ali giggled and pulled a t-shirt over her sleep tank and padded barefoot down the back stairs.

Her plan was to drink her coffee and make breakfast for everybody. They had to leave for the airport at 11am and she wasn’t sure they would get a good lunch before their flight. She wanted to make sure they had a good meal in their stomachs to start the day at least. She knew Gram wasn’t an early riser so she thought she could get to breakfast without having to worry about Gram doing it first. It was still early, just after 7am, and Ali had only had about four hours of sleep. Wrangling drunk Whitney and drunk Ashlyn had been more of a struggle than she had anticipated. She ended up putting some ibuprofen and two bottles of water on Whitney’s nightstand with the trashcan from the bathroom next to the bed just in case. Whitney drank some of the water as Ali took her shoes and socks off for her and then fell back onto her pillows and passed out. The brunette debated what to do about pajamas and, after a minute, decided that she would just take the defender’s jeans off for her. Nobody liked to wake up in their jeans. That always made you feel worse than you already did. Then Ali had to go and try to get her girlfriend situated. She had put Ashlyn at the foot of her bed with a bottle of water before she had gone down to Whitney’s room. But when she got back to the master bedroom the keeper was completely naked and passed out in the middle of the bed under the covers. It had taken all of Ali’s strength to roll her over to her own side so she could fit into the bed with her. 

As the brunette got to the bottom of the back stairs she heard movement in the kitchen and was surprised to see Tammye at the coffee maker in her pajamas. 

“Morning” Ali said as she walked towards Ashlyn’s mother and the coffee she so desperately needed, her voice tired and thick.

“Good morning hon, did I wake you?” Tammye said in a voice just a little less sleepy than the brunette’s as she took her coffee and stepped across the kitchen to the stove.

“Oh no” Ali replied and yawned, covering her mouth as she reached for a coffee cup to put under the Keurig machine. “I wanted to make everybody breakfast.” She smiled as she looked over and saw Tammye putting the big square frying pan on the stove top.

Both women looked at each other and said “Oh” at the same time. 

Tammye laughed and said “I was going to make French toast.” She paused and smiled, not wanting to ruin Ali’s plans.

Ali noticed that the eggs and bread and mixing bowl were already out on the counter next to the stove. She was wracking her brain trying to remember if Tammye cooked or not. The brunette had never seen it but that was probably because she had only spent time with her around the whole family and Gram always did the cooking then. Coffee, she needed coffee to figure out what to do.

“I don’t have to though, if you’d rather...”

“Oh God no” Ali said and chuckled softly. “Please don’t let me stop you.” She smiled and leaned against the counter waiting for her coffee, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth.

“Ok, well if you’re sure you don’t mind?” Tammye asked one last time.

She struck Ali as timid. And in that moment when Tammye was asking her again for permission to do something really nice for everybody it hit the brunette. That uncertainty and self-doubt and insecurity that she sometimes saw in Ashlyn, that was where it came from. She had just seen the exact same thing from Tammye. Tammye seemed to walk on eggshells sometimes. At least that’s how it looked to Ali from her outsider’s view. It seemed like the woman was so grateful to be back in the family fold that she was afraid to do or say anything that might upset anybody and give them reason to ask her to leave. God that was sad. Ali knew Tammye had been through hell and back more times than she even wanted to think about. The brunette had read more about depression and she just couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been to live with it all those years without knowing what it was. And then to try and get sober while dealing with it must have been awful. Ali knew how hard it had been for Kyle to get and stay sober and had seen it with her own eyes. But to add a whole other debilitating disease to that struggle was unfathomable to her. 

“Of course I don’t mind” she answered and smiled warmly at the older woman. “Can I help? Or will I just slow you down?” she chuckled, “I know it can go both ways.”

Ali took a sip of coffee and couldn’t help closing her eyes for a second in sheer joy. She remembered Ashlyn telling her that her mom had never really cooked much. Or maybe she had been a terrible cook, Ali couldn’t remember yet. 

“How do you feel about making bacon or sausages?” Tammye asked as she turned back to the mixing bowl and started whisking the eggs that were already in it. “Breakfast is the only thing I’m good at and, really, it’s just the easy stuff like French toast and pancakes and waffles” she explained, talking over her shoulder.

Ali moved over and leaned on the counter on the other side of the stove and drank more coffee. The kitchen was interesting. Anybody who spent a lot of time cooking wouldn’t love it but it was easy to see why Ashlyn had arranged it like that. The blonde had hired a kitchen designer because she knew she wouldn’t know exactly what to do with it. It was a ‘challenging space’ the designer had said. It was a long and narrow room in the back right corner of the house. It was about 18’ wide by 30’ long from front to back. The focal point of the space was the large double-sided fireplace a little more than halfway down the left side of the room. The wall on either side of the fireplace was open into the family room. That wasn’t going to move and that was really the only thing Ashlyn had wanted to keep the same from the old kitchen. She wanted to keep the small square table and two chairs that sat in front of the fireplace in the kitchen. That’s where her grandparents ate all of their meals. So the designer had to work around it. The other obstacle was the kitchen door on the right side of the room. The wooden door, solid on the bottom half and glass on the top half with the grilles breaking the glass up into nine little rectangles, was centered along the length of the wall and opened into the kitchen, right about where the table and fireplace were. There were two windows along the right side wall, and two along the back wall, all four of them basically in the back right corner. So the kitchen was basically halved by the fireplace and the door. There was no way to fit everything you needed into one half or the other so you had to split it up. 

As you stood in the mudroom and entered the kitchen there was about nine feet of wall on the left side and this is where the refrigerator was, in the corner, and a wide counter was next to it. That counter was where the coffee maker was with cabinets above for the coffee cups and coffee things and a cabinet below for other storage. After the wide counter was the first opening into the family room. Then came the fireplace. It was about nine feet wide and there was an extra chair for the small table sitting against the wall on either side of it. After the fireplace was the other opening into the family room and then the back stairs that went up to the master bedroom. The stairs were walled in and there was a door at the top leading into the master bedroom so you couldn’t hear everything going on in the noisy kitchen.

As you stood in the mudroom and looked at the right side wall there was a dark corner about six feet long with a counter. There were cabinets below for storage and upper cabinets on the wall instead of a third window. Next to that counter was the stove with a hood above it for ventilation. There was a narrow 18” counter next to the stove and then the kitchen door. On the other side of the door the counter picked up again and there was a big, deep double sink with a window behind it. Then the dishwasher was next to the sink, under the continuous countertop and then the counter turned ninety degrees and ran for about six feet along the back wall. There was a microwave in the corner of the counter top with an upper cabinet on the right wall and the other window on the right side was roughly above the dishwasher.

Along the back wall there was a window centered above the six feet of counter that started in the corner. Next to the counter were the trash and recycling cans with the other window above them. There was about three feet of space and then the back stairs. So it was a tough space to fit a functioning kitchen into. Ashlyn had told Ali what a struggle it had been. She had even gone to a different kitchen designer to see if there were other ideas that might work. What Ashlyn loved about the kitchen, besides the fireplace and table, was the covered porch that ran the length of the right side. It was about four feet deep and there were a couple of rocking chairs out there with small tables next to them. The right side of the house faced mostly west so it got a lot of afternoon sun. But in the spring and fall when you wanted to enjoy some afternoon sun it was a wonderful place to sit. The driveway was only a few feet away which wasn’t the most scenic view but once Ashlyn could get the big two-car garage done she could put the jeep and even Ali’s truck inside it. That was a project for the future.

Ali stood in the space by the kitchen door and leaned her front against the counter next to the stove drinking her coffee and watching Tammye whisk the eggs.

“I don’t think there’s anything easy about making French toast” Ali admitted. “Pancakes and waffles are one thing, but French toast is a commitment. I don’t make it very often at all and if I do it never comes out right. The bread’s too soggy or dense.” She wrinkled her face up and shook her head. “But I can definitely help with the bacon and sausage. Let me see what she has” she said and went to look in the fridge.

The two women worked side by side at the stove and talked the whole time. Ali had never heard Tammye say very much so she was careful not to do all the talking. They started with small talk about the week and the weather and the Breakers. They laughed about how hungover the girls were going to be when they finally woke up. Eventually Ali got up the nerve to ask what she had been wondering about all week.

“How is it being back in the house now? Does it feel the same or nothing at all like before?” 

She asked the question lightly, not wanting to put pressure on Tammye to come up with some deep answer if she didn’t have one or didn’t want to. The older woman thought for a minute as she tended to the French toast in the frying pan in front of her.

“A little bit of both I think actually.” She answered but didn’t take her eyes off of the frying pan. “We were so different, my parents and I. Literally from different ages” she chuckled softly and shifted the weight on her feet. “Mom was 38 when she had me. She was born in 1925 and I was born in 1963. I mean, it was almost ridiculous. When I was a little girl it didn’t matter of course. But once I got to be twelve and thirteen it mattered more than anything. My friends used to tease me about how old my parents were. And they were the same age as most of my friends’ grandparents.” She used the spatula to take the four pieces of French toast off of the frying pan and put them on the warming plate in the oven and then started dipping four new pieces of bread into the batter. “They were strict and old-fashioned and we barely spoke when I was sixteen or seventeen. It was almost like we didn’t speak the same language. It was 1979 when my dad was teaching me to drive and the oil crisis made buying gas a huge deal. The world was changing by the minute and I wanted to come home and talk about burning my bra and Three Mile Island and Margaret Thatcher and Russia and my parents just weren’t equipped to do that.”

“I can’t even imagine. I put my parents through hell a few times but we were always able to talk about it. And if I think about having those same conversations with my grandparents...” she raised her eyebrows and shook her head, leaving the sentence unfinished.

“Oh I was a terrible daughter for a long time. I ran off with my boyfriend at the time to live my own life in Florida.” She chuckled and sighed as she glanced at Ali. “Boy you do dumb things when you’re eighteen.”

“That’s a universal thing though. I don’t think that’s ever going to change, do you?” Ali agreed and laughed.

“No, I don’t. Just wait, you two will be wringing your hands about your son or daughter when they’re eighteen too. I can’t wait to see that.” Tammye nudged the brunette with her elbow as Ali blushed. “And that’s the key to everything right there” she continued. “If I hadn’t run off I wouldn’t have met Mike. And then I wouldn’t be standing here with you in this house.” She smiled as she turned the French toast in the pan. “And that’s what always keeps me going. No matter what happened in the past there’s always the future. Every time I think about having a drink I think about having grandkids of my own and needing to stay strong so my kids will trust me enough to know their babies.” She stopped when she got choked up and Ali put her arm around her waist and gave her a side hug. Tammye leaned into it appreciatively and they stood like that for a couple of minutes until the mudroom door opened and Beth and Chris walked into the kitchen. Tammye wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and Ali turned to face the new arrivals.

“Where have you guys been? It’s not even 8:30 yet?” the brunette asked. “Do you want some coffee?”

“Nah, I’m good, thanks” Chris answered and walked over to see what his mom was doing. 

“Yes, please, I want another cup.” Beth went over to wait by the Keurig that Ali had just put a cup under and pressed brew on. “We went for a walk on the beach to start saying goodbye to this beautiful place” she explained.

“No way!” Chris boomed, unable to hide his excitement. “Mom’s making her famous French toast!” He turned around, pumped his fist and made a goofy face at Beth. “Wait til you try it. You’ll never like anybody’s French toast ever again after you have my mom’s.”

“Shhhh, be quiet or you’ll wake the whole house” Tammye chastised with a giggle. She knew there was no way to tone down her son’s exuberance. “Go wash your hands and set the table for us Bubba. As soon as Gram’s up we can eat.”

“Oh, we’re not waiting for Bash?” he asked as he walked to the sink and washed his hands.

“Um, I think she’ll be awhile. Whit too.” Ali chuckled as she said it and handed Beth her coffee.

“D’oh! Hangovers are for babies. I’ll go get her up” he said and started towards the back stairs.

“No you don’t want to do that Chris” Ali started, hoping she wouldn’t have to explain, but Chris didn’t stop. “Don’t go up there unless you want to see your sister naked!” Ali whisper shouted as she started to cross the long kitchen after him.

He stopped in his tracks, right at the bottom of the stairs, backed up and turned to face Ali. She had gotten to the kitchen table and when she saw the mischievous look on his face she blushed.

“Well, now, young lady. Are you telling me she was so drunk that she’ll be hungover as hell but was still able to rock your world last night?” he stepped towards Ali, grinning and loving her discomfort. “That sounds like a Harris to me alright” he said proudly and winked at Beth who was shaking her head at him.

“No!” Ali said louder than she meant to, face red, eager to set the story straight. “No, I went to make sure Whitney got into bed ok and when I came back she had taken all of her clothes off and passed out” she giggled as she spoke. “It was all I could do to make room for myself in the bed. I don’t think she moved a muscle all night because she was in the exact same position when I woke up this morning.” Ali laughed along with the others.

“Sadly, that also sounds like a Harris!” Chris joked and they all laughed again.

Tammye’s French toast was just as good as advertised. Ali had never tasted better. Whitney and Ashlyn eventually joined them downstairs and took seats in the nook just as everyone else was finishing their breakfast.

“Oh Lord somebody make the pounding stop” Whitney mumbled as she sat in one of the chairs on the side of the nook, freshly showered and dressed in sweats. She held her head as she waited for Ali to bring her coffee.

The nook was in the back left corner of the family room. It was rectangular shaped with an ‘L’ shaped banquette that ran about seven feet along the back wall of the family room and then up almost three feet along the side wall. There were two chairs across from the long side of the banquette and one chair at the end of the table. 

Ashlyn shuffled towards the nook from the back stairs wearing Ali’s unicorn pajama pants and a t-shirt that was inside out and backwards so the tag stuck out under her chin. Her hair was still all over the place and her smudged eye make-up from the night before made her look like a raccoon. She slid into the other side of the nook next to her brother and giggled a little when she saw the defender holding her head. 

“Thank you so much Ali” Whitney said as she blew on the steaming cup of coffee. “Please tell me I had pants on when we got home last night.”

Ali laughed her short loud shout of a laugh and told her not to worry, she had been fully clothed the entire time. Ashlyn took the cup of coffee her girlfriend had put in front of her between her hands and laughed at the defender. Ali took her seat in the chair at the end of the nook and put her hand on the keeper’s leg under the table.

“What are you laughing at mop-head?” Chris teased his sister as the group laughed at his reference to Ashlyn’s hair. “And what the hell are you wearing? Are you trying to save those poor unicorns from a flood or something?” 

Ali’s pajama pants were too short for the blonde, their three inch difference in height very obvious. Whitney giggled and took a sip of coffee while Ashlyn looked down at what she was wearing.

“And right about now she’s trying to figure out why she woke up naked because she has no memory whatsoever of getting lucky last night but she’s too embarrassed to admit that to Ali who is the only one here who can give her the actual answer.” Chris did a great impersonation of a golf commentator as he spoke with quiet excitement in his voice and a little bit of an English accent. “You can’t make this sort of drama up folks. What. Will. She. Do?”

Everybody laughed, including Ali who squeezed the keeper’s thigh, as Ashlyn turned pink and tried to take a sip of her coffee and ignore her brother. She swallowed, sighed and turned to look at her girlfriend.

“Is that why I’m wearing your unicorns?” she asked quietly.

Ali laughed and patted her thigh. “I have no idea why you’re wearing my pajamas but you look cute in pink babe.”

Ashlyn took another drink of coffee while everyone chuckled. She looked across the table at Whitney and then at Ali again.

“Did we...” she stopped and tried to waggle her eyebrows but it caused too much pain and she winced instead.

Ali burst out laughing, much too loud for both hungover women who groaned.

“Only in your dreams honey” Ali teased and then leaned over and kissed Ashlyn sweetly on the lips.

“And there we have it folks” Chris went back to his golf commentator voice. “The crash and burn we were so desperately hoping for, perfectly executed by the one and only ‘Mop-head Unicorn-pants’. What a thrilling sight to behold.”

They all laughed again and even Ashlyn chuckled as she elbowed her brother sharply in his ribs.

“Jackass” she said without looking up from her coffee.

“Love you too baby sis.”

//

As the Harris clan said their goodbyes to the house and to Ali, they had said goodbye to Whitney earlier and she had gone back to bed, Ashlyn leaned against her girlfriend’s truck in the driveway and took it all in. On the small porch outside the side entrance door Chris picked the brunette up and gave her one of his bear hugs. 

“Love you Ali” he whispered in her ear as he put her down gently.

“Love you too Chris” she replied, kissing his cheek.

The big man grabbed the last of the luggage and loaded it into the back of Ali’s truck. The brunette and Beth hugged goodbye, saying they’d see each other soon. Ali wrapped Gram up in a hug and giggled when the old woman teased her about keeping her granddaughter in line and not letting her ruin that beautiful house. They both knew the keeper had too much respect for the house to ever let that happen.

“It’s been a wonderful week, thank you for having us honey” Tammye said as she gave Ali a long hug. “I know it’s just barely official but it’s easy to see how much of you is already in this home. I couldn’t be happier for the both of you. I can tell you really love her, all of her. She’s lucky to have you.” Her voice cracked a little at the end and Ali held her hands as they broke the hug.

“It was so good to talk with you” Ali said as she smiled warmly at Tammye, still holding both her hands. “Thank you for bringing that amazing woman into the world.” The brunette kissed her on the cheek and released her, tears starting to well up in her chocolate eyes.

Ali walked halfway to the truck and Ashlyn met her, pecked her lips and hugged her close.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive them in? Are you sure you’re up to it?”

“No I’m fine” Ashlyn replied as she started to step back from the hug. “I’ll call you before I start driving back home so you won’t worry so much. Ok?”

“Thanks babe. That’d be great. I love you. Drive safe.”

“See you soon honey.”

Ali waved goodbye as they backed down the driveway. It had been a long and busy week but she was really going to miss them. She went inside and started to clean up and put things away. Mrs. Riley had just left so everything was dusted and vacuumed and the bathrooms were all cleaned. Ashlyn had told Mrs. Riley to skip the kitchen and family room because they were spending the morning in there. It had been the first time Ali had seen the old woman since her birthday party the weekend before and the brunette greeted her warmly and thanked her again for bringing her family to the party. She cleaned the kitchen and felt good having that chore done.

The washing machine was still broken and the repairman wasn’t coming until Thursday morning. Whitney had gone to the laundromat the day before so she could pack for her flight to California later that night and Ali wished she had done the same. It was just going to be she and Ashlyn for the rest of the week so they wouldn’t need that many towels or clothes either, hopefully. Their afternoon delight on Friday had been great but it had been so rushed that it left them both less than satisfied. It was like being given a piece of delicious cake and then having it taken away when you were only half finished. It was delicious but you wanted to eat the rest of it too.

Ali moved through the second floor and gathered up all the dirty towels and stripped all the beds and piled them all up just inside Meg’s room so they would be easy to grab and carry downstairs when it was time to go to the laundromat. Meg’s room. The brunette thought about Hannah and Meg’s visit and sighed. God she hated that woman. Sometimes she couldn’t even see the part of her that was a good mother because she hated her so much. And Ali didn’t hate many people. She always tried to see the good or find some good in everyone. She got a text from the keeper saying she was leaving the airport. Ali texted back and told her to drive safe and that she would wait and eat a late lunch with her when she got home.

The brunette pulled the comforter and blanket off of Ashlyn’s bed and was about to strip the sheets off of it, it was the last one to do. But she got so tired all of a sudden that she just lay down for a minute. The next thing she knew it was 5pm and Ashlyn was lying next to her sideways across the bed, fast asleep. Ali sat up quickly and reached for her work phone. It was Monday, a work day, and she had just taken a three hour power nap in the middle of the afternoon. She scrolled through her missed calls and looked at her emails to see if there was anything urgent she needed to take care of right that minute. She had six voicemails and grabbed a pad of paper and pen from her nightstand drawer and listened to them, taking notes before deleting each one. Luckily, two of the voicemails were the same contractor calling her asking her the same question that he could have answered for himself if he had just opened his eyes and read the notes she had included on the quote she sent him Friday morning. There was a third voicemail from him later in the afternoon telling her that he had figured it out and she didn’t need to call him back. She chuckled. ‘Idiot’ she thought to herself and sighed. No major problems. That was a relief. She chastised herself though. She was trying to be good Monday and Tuesday of Ashlyn’s first week off and get lots of her work done so she could take the afternoons off the rest of the week. So far, not off to a great start.

“Hey baby, everything ok?” Ashlyn asked as she stretched and tried to touch the brunette but she couldn’t quite reach her. 

“Yeah, just checking voicemails. I can’t believe I fell asleep and stayed asleep for three hours. That was definitely not in the plans for today.” She chuckled but Ashlyn could hear the aggravation in her voice.

“It’s ok Al. You must have really needed some sleep. How do you feel?” She dragged her body over closer to the brunette and moved her hand up and down her back, rubbing soothing circles around it.

“I’m fucking starving” she chuckled again. “But other than that I feel good.” She turned halfway around from her position at the edge of the bed and smiled at the adorable, sleepy keeper lying on top of the half-stripped bed.

“I feel pretty good now, after that nap.” She yawned and covered her mouth. “I’m starving too. Let’s go eat and make a plan.”

They joined Whitney, who was eating her dinner like a normal person at 5pm, in the nook and the three friends talked about Whitney’s trip home and her return trip back to Boston for the second week and then her trip down to North Carolina to spend the third week with Ryan.

“What time is your flight tonight?” Ali asked as she finished stuffing her face with the second to last helping of Gram’s mac and cheese. She always left the last serving for Ashlyn, no matter what.

“We need to leave here at 8pm to get me to the airport on time. Are you still ok driving me Ash?” She looked at her best friend. “I can always call a cab.”

“God no. That’s crazy and expensive as hell. I’m all good. That nap really fixed me up. I swear” the keeper assured both women and smiled brightly. 

The airport was just over an hour away from the big old house. It depended on traffic of course, which could be brutal if you tried to drive into or out of Boston during the rush hour commute. But both of Ashlyn’s trips to the airport that day were at ideal times to avoid traffic. 

“And I’ll pick you up Monday morning when you get back” Ali added and smiled gratefully at the defender.

True to her word during the discussions about Hannah back in early May, at Niki and Molly’s house, Whitney was flying back to be at the big old house during Hannah and Meg’s visit the second week of the break. And, true to her word at the same discussion, Ali was not going to be anywhere near it if she could help it. 

“Sounds like a plan. Thanks Ali.”

After they had eaten Ali got up to finish stripping the bed and get the laundry ready. She wanted the keeper to drop her off at the laundromat on her way to the airport and then come pick her back up on her way home. She figured, if there were enough empty machines, she could get all the loads washed and dried in the two and a half hours that Ashlyn would be gone. It was a very good plan but the blonde talked her out of it. She convinced her to stay at the house and get as much work done as she could, to make up for her power nap. The laundry could wait. Ashlyn would change the sheets on her bed when she got home and they had a couple of clean towels still so there was no urgent need to go to the laundromat that night. The blonde could go tomorrow morning after her therapy appointment.

“Do you still want to come with me in the morning?” she asked Ali late that night after they were both in bed and about to fall asleep. 

“Yes Ash. I do” the brunette replied sleepily from her spot as the little spoon. “I made time and it’s important to me. Please stop worrying about it and go to sleep. I love you.”


	23. Therapy & Dinner

“Is there anything else you’d like to talk about Ashlyn?” Mattie asked as she looked back and forth between the blonde and her beautiful brunette girlfriend. “Anything causing you any worry or distress?”

They had spent the first 30 minutes of the appointment talking about depression in general and then Ashlyn’s specific type and degree of depression and then Ali’s part in both the problem and the solution. It was very much geared for Ali to help her learn and understand what was going on with her girlfriend. It had been Mattie that had suggested it to Ashlyn. And Ali had been on board as soon as the blonde mentioned it to her that night. 

It was Ashlyn’s third session with the therapist and she felt like they were making good progress together. The keeper felt like Mattie was starting to understand her and that was what those beginning weekly appointments were for. Setting the groundwork for the rest of the work they were going to do together.

“Now isn’t the time to be shy Ashlyn” Mattie prodded her, gently but firmly.

Ali turned her head to look at her beautiful keeper sitting next to her. If her therapist was pushing her like that then there was something they had talked about before that they wanted to talk about with Ali present. They were holding hands, it was just natural for them to do that, there was no thought that went into it anymore, and Ali moved her thumb along the back of the keeper’s hand. 

“What is it Ash?” the brunette asked softly, still looking at her love. “I’m not afraid honey. Let’s talk about whatever you want to talk about.”

Mattie liked the girlfriend. She was smart and honest and strong. It made more sense to her that Ashlyn had been able to get through most of last year on her own without any incidents. With her girlfriend, even not yet being her girlfriend, around it made more sense.

“See” Ashlyn grinned and met Mattie’s eyes, nodding at Ali. “Isn’t she the best? It doesn’t matter what it is she’s always there for me. I told you doc.”

“Having a strong and supportive girlfriend is a wonderful help. Absolutely. And if you two have the kind of open dialogue that you’ve told me about then it’s even better” the therapist commented.

Ashlyn took a deep breath, looked at the brunette and then looked back at Mattie. “I’m worried about Hannah’s visit next week. Not for myself, but I’m worried that you’re really not ok with it and just trying to be nice about it because you know it’s really important to me.” She exhaled and looked down when she was finished.

“Ok, good Ashlyn. Anything else about this topic you want to add before we hear from Ali?” the therapist asked.

“Umm, just that if it did really bother you and I had to choose between having Meg in my life or you in my life... not that you would ever make me choose like that, I know you wouldn’t and that’s what I’m nervous about...I just want you to know that I would choose you.”

“Alright. Good.” Mattie praised her patient again. “Now Ali what would you like to say about that?”

Ali took a minute to think through what she wanted Ashlyn to know.

“Well, we’ve talked about this before Ash but I’m happy to say it again. I’ve been very honest with you about my feelings towards Hannah. I think she’s a terrible human being who took advantage of you and used you and treated you and your family horribly. I don’t like the fact that she’s still in your life at all. And not because I don’t trust you with her, but because I don’t trust her with you. But I know your relationship with Meg is very important and I support that one hundred percent. And until Meg is older that relationship is going to involve Hannah and there’s nothing to be done about it. I don’t like it but I’m ok with it. And that’s how I feel about their visit. I’m so excited and happy for you to spend time with Meg at the house. You know I am. But the idea of Hannah staying there too makes me angry. I want to protect you from her Ashlyn. I can’t help it.”

“Ok. Very good Ali.” Mattie looked from one woman to the other. “Anything you want to add to that before Ashlyn weighs in?”

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ve said this to you yet and I should have. Sorry.” Ali squeezed the blonde’s hand as she continued. “I can’t wait for the day when I get to hang out with you and Meg. Either when she’s big enough for Hannah not to be around or when I somehow become strong enough to be able to be around Hannah. Whichever comes first. But I’m really looking forward to that day.” 

Ashlyn beamed at the brunette. Just when she thought Ali couldn’t possibly be any more perfect, she went and said the most beautiful and meaningful thing the blonde may have ever heard.

“How does Hannah feel about Ali spending time with Meg?” the therapist asked Ashlyn.

“Umm, I’m not sure.”

“Does Hannah know that you and Ali are in a relationship now?”

“Yes she does. I told her before we finalized Meg’s visit. I didn’t want her to get up here and find out about it and freak out or anything. That would be something she would do for sure.” Ashlyn rolled her eyes without realizing she had done it.

“Ok good. And how did she react? Did your arrangement with Meg come up for discussion again after she knew about you and Ali?” The therapist was asking all the questions that Ali had wondered about but never wanted to ask her girlfriend. The less the brunette had to talk about Hannah the better.

“No, not really. She just said she wasn’t surprised and that she hoped we were very happy. But she said it in a bitchy way. She wasn’t sincere about it.”

“Ok. Well at some point in the near future I suggest you have that talk with her to make sure there are no changes or restrictions put on your relationship with Meg. I think it will do you both good to get it out on the table and discuss it.”

“You think she’ll try and tell me I can’t see Meg if I’m with Ali? Or that Meg can’t come up and visit if Ali moves in or we get married?”

Ali’s heart fluttered when she heard the ‘married’ come out of the keeper’s mouth. But she couldn’t focus on it very long because Ashlyn’s voice was rising in panic at the thought of not being able to see Meg.

“I don’t know Ashlyn and neither do you and that’s why it’s important to talk with Hannah about it. But not on this visit. I think you should save it for a less stressful time after the actual visit.”

“We decided that Ashlyn should wait to tell her that I’m moving in until after the visit. Just in case she reacts badly or something” Ali added, in essence agreeing with the therapist.

“Good I think that’s probably best at this point. I’m never a fan of keeping things from the people in our lives, but every once in a while it makes sense to just wait a little bit to share certain things. It’s important to make good situational decisions and that’s a perfect example. Anything else on this Ashlyn?”

The keeper turned to Ali. “I just need to know that you’re really ok with them coming and not just being nice.”

“Ashlyn, I don’t think I know how to be any clearer about it. I get why you’re worried. Because I would totally suck it up so you could see Meg. Just like you would do the exact same thing for me. So I understand why you think I’m just telling you what you want to hear. But it’s frustrating that you don’t believe me. I’m telling you I’m fine with it.”

“Has Ali given you reason to doubt her in the past with statements like this? Has she lied to you before?”

“Umm,” the keeper pursed her lips as she thought for a couple of minutes. “No she hasn’t. She’s always been honest and upfront with me. Always. Even when we were just friends. She didn’t tell me about her birthday last year but she didn’t lie about it. And the only reason she didn’t tell me is because I was freaking out about Hannah and Meg’s visit last August and she didn’t want to add more to the busy week.”

“So can you understand why she’s getting frustrated answering the same question from you?”

“Yes.”

“She’s shown you that she is honest and tells you the truth and now you need to take her at her word when she tells you she’s ok with this visit.”

“Ok then, I won’t ask you again. I’m sorry” Ashlyn said to Ali and then looked down.

“Ash, don’t just not ask me again” Ali said and turned more to face her girlfriend. “I need you to not worry about it anymore. That’s what’s important to me. Ok?”

Ashlyn lifted her eyes to meet the chocolate ones studying her and shrugged a small smile.

“I’ll try. I promise, I’ll try” she said and brought Ali’s hand up to her lips to kiss it.

“We have a few minutes left, is there anything else either of you want to talk about or ask me?”

They were both quiet for a minute. Ashlyn was still trying to decide if she believed Ali or not and she knew she would never ever know the truth. But she had to trust the brunette. Even if she thought she might be lying to her just because she was the nicest girlfriend in the world. She was surprised when she heard Ali’s voice.

“I, um, have a question.” The brunette spoke nervously.

“Alright Ali, let’s hear it” Mattie encouraged her with a warm smile.

“I feel really great about my relationship with Ashlyn and I love her so much and I’ve never been happier in my whole life.”

“But...” Mattie nudged her.

“We’ve talked about this and I feel better about it but I’m still really afraid that when I move in it’s all going to fall apart.” Ali looked down as she admitted the fear that she just could not conquer. She felt Ashlyn squeeze her hand and she looked at the blonde with an apologetic frown. “I know it’s all in my head but I’m afraid that I can’t get it out of my head and I’ll somehow make it come true.” She looked at the therapist and Mattie could see the pain and worry in her eyes.

“That’s a big one for the last couple of minutes Ali. But if it’s bothering you this much I think you should definitely talk to someone about it. Do you have a therapist that you see?”

“No.”

“Well, if you’d like, I can give you some recommendations.”

“Can’t she just talk to you doc?” Ashlyn asked the obvious question.

“I’m ok working with both partners in a relationship. But the partners have to be ok with it too. Both of them.” She looked between Ali and Ashlyn again. “Think about it and let me know.”

“You mean like couples counseling?” Ashlyn asked.

“No that’s not what I meant but we can do that too if you want.” She could see that the keeper was confused and getting frustrated with her answers. “I’m not trying to make this complicated Ashlyn” she smiled again and tried to ease the blonde’s nerves. “I just want to make sure you’re both ok with talking to me before I agree to talk with Ali. Some couples don’t feel comfortable with their partner talking to the same therapist. They want there to be more separation there.” She waited for that to sink in. “Other couples think it’s helpful to have the same therapist because then he or she knows the other person that they’re talking about so often. I would never use anything that one of you said in a private session during your partner’s private session. Private means private. And what you two decide to share with each other about those sessions is entirely up to you.”

“I don’t have any problem with Ali talking to you whether it’s about me or us or not. You’re easy to talk to and you’ve helped me a lot already and I trust you.”

“Thank you Ashlyn. That’s very nice to hear. Ali you don’t have to decide now...”

“I don’t have a problem with it either. I think it probably could be helpful that you know both of us. And if we ever do want to do some couples counseling it might make that easier too.” Ali looked at Ashlyn and the blonde smiled back at her and kissed her hand again.

“Well ok then.” Mattie smiled back at them both.

As they sat in Ali’s truck after the appointment both women felt a little vulnerable and clingy. 

“I just want to curl up with you and hold you” Ali whined. “I wish I hadn’t made these appointments today.”

They were trying to hug as much as possible over the armrest console between the seats. Ashlyn pulled the brunette towards her and kissed her deeply. The kiss was full of so many emotions that it surprised Ali as she melted into it.

“Thank you so much Al” Ashlyn said breathlessly when she finally broke the kiss. “For coming with me this morning. It means a lot to me and I really appreciate it.”

“Thank you for asking me babe” Ali answered with a sweet kiss as she moved some of the keeper’s hair away from her face. “God I just want to keep kissing you...” she said as Ashlyn brought their lips together again.

Fifteen minutes later Ali drove away, thankful for the busy parking lot that had been the only thing that had stopped them from getting really carried away. She had watched Ashlyn get into her jeep through her rear-view mirror as she waited her turn to exit. She bit her lip and wondered if there would ever be a time when it would be easier to be separated from her sexy girlfriend.

//

When Ali finally got back to the big old house late that afternoon it was already almost 6pm. She had booked a lot of appointments on Tuesday and Wednesday that week so that she could spend Thursday working from home. She was trying to decide if she trusted herself enough to have that be at Ashlyn’s house or if she needed to go back to her own house so she could actually get her work done. She had to be efficient and productive during the days so she wouldn’t have to work in the evenings. The ultimate goal was to take all day Friday off and spend it entirely with the blonde, preferably naked. Ashlyn knew the plan, not necessarily the naked part just yet, and was trying to be as helpful as possible early in the week so they could spend the evenings together. 

To that end, the keeper had made Ali dinner Tuesday night. Ashlyn wasn’t a good cook, aside from breakfast and her world’s best scrambled eggs, but she did have a few meals she had learned over the years that she could whip up when she needed to. She didn’t like cooking either so if she prepared a meal for you it was a big deal. The blonde made the best nachos around and everybody would agree. Her secret, she had once admitted to Ali after the brunette had tickled her into submission on the big couch in the front living room, was in how you lay the chips out on the pan. They had just watched a soccer match and devoured a pan of nachos with guacamole and black beans and the brunette sat proudly atop the squirming keeper. Ashlyn explained that you had to spread the chips out evenly across the pan so they all got cheese and so they all got nice and crispy under the broiler. Ali thought back to the even rows and single layer of chips she had just enjoyed, the blonde’s mild OCD tendencies totally working to her advantage in that case. 

Ashlyn also made excellent sandwiches. This was another fact that was widely accepted by her teammates and friends and family. Somehow she managed to get the perfect meat to cheese to condiment to bread ratio every time. And the blonde loved to try out different types of mustards and aiolis and other spreads to see how they would jazz up a sandwich she already loved. Those sandwiches were the main reason, probably the only reason, that the toaster oven still had a place in the kitchen. She made the best tuna melt around and her secret was definitely the toaster oven. Whitney joked that Ashlyn might actually starve if that thing ever broke. The keeper didn’t just slap a sandwich on a plate for you either. She had three kinds of olives and two varieties of pickles to go with it, always putting the right olive with the right sandwich. It was a crazy skill that only her closest friends and family were able to appreciate.

But she hadn’t made Ali nachos or a sandwich for dinner. She pulled out the big guns and made her famous pasta bolognese. It was spaghetti with meat sauce and it was pretty ballsy of her to make for someone who had grown up eating authentic Italian food. What Ashlyn hadn’t told the brunette was that she had called Deb earlier that summer to get some help tweaking her recipe. Originally, the keeper had planned to make it for Ali’s birthday but that was before the Harris family vacation changed those plans. Deb had talked Ashlyn through a lot of things and sent her a recipe of her own to try and see if she wanted to incorporate it into her own dish. The blonde had tried out Deb’s recipe and her own, with Whitney and Niki’s help one Wednesday night when Ali wasn’t around. The final result was probably 40% Ashlyn’s recipe and 60% Deb’s but the three women agreed that it was better than either single recipe had been. The best advice Deb had given her was to get rid of the spaghetti and use something easier to eat like farfalle or rotini or something you could actually stab with your fork. And the second best advice had been about the ground beef. If it had more fat in it then it would taste better. And Deb made sure to tell the blonde to drain the ground beef after cooking it and before adding it to the sauce. That was the most important thing, regardless of how lean it was.

When Ali stepped into the mudroom and smelled the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen she hummed and called out towards the kitchen.

“Wow, something smells amazing!”

She dropped her work bags on the bench, took her shoes off and moved into the kitchen. Ashlyn met her with a kiss and a glass of red wine. The blonde had called Sydney to find out what the best red wine would be to go with the pasta bolognese. Sydney and Ali had taken a wine-pairing class that the brunette was always raving about. Unfortunately for Ashlyn, the coach hadn’t paid as much attention as Ali had and was not very much help. Undeterred, she called Molly who was also a big wine fan and got some advice she could work with.

“Oh my God babe, you had me with that kiss in the truck this morning, but I am so happy about all of this going on in here” Ali enthused as she waved her arm around the kitchen in a slow circle.

They sat down at the small kitchen table and held hands as they ate their dinner. Ashlyn told the brunette about her day getting all the laundry done at the laundromat, grocery shopping, working out and preparing dinner. Ali told the keeper about her day meeting with contractors on jobsites and driving all the way out to Newton to help one guy find the hardware that he said Ali’s company never shipped only to find the box of hardware in the storage trailer onsite. 

“Fucking lazy asshole. His painters took the hardware off the windows and never put it back on. He made me drive all the way out there because he couldn’t be bothered to look for himself. Man I hate that” she said angrily as her forehead creased in frustration.

“Some of those guys just need a babysitter. I can’t imagine calling somebody else to come look for something on my jobsite if I hadn’t looked myself” Ashlyn agreed and shook her head.

“Oh, George says hi.” Ali grinned at her girlfriend as she spoke. “He’s doing a job in Annisquam that I’ll hopefully get. He asked about the gym and wanted to make sure you got everything wired.”

“I love him” Ashlyn smiled as she thought of the contractor who felt more like a friend. “I’ll get the electrician over, I keep waiting for a good time to do that and there’s just not going to be one.” She sighed and squeezed Ali’s hand. “And I want George to come over and look at the garage. I want to make sure the second floor is safe and sturdy enough to start using it for storage.”

“What are you going to store up there?” Ali asked. 

All of the beach gear and outdoor things were already being stored at the back of the garage. It was a tight fit but it also wasn’t very organized yet. They weren’t parking the jeep or truck inside the garage because the garage doors weren’t quite big enough for the truck to make it through without holding your breath. Ashlyn also just wanted the whole structure to be evaluated before they stored anything too valuable in it. Just in case. The second floor was empty except for some old boxes left over from who knew when.

“Well I’d like to put all the beach and yard stuff up there so you can put your window samples down on the ground floor. And we need to figure out how we want to use the actual garage space. If our vehicles aren’t going to fit through the overhead doors then we need to change the front. Maybe we only park your truck in there instead of both cars. That would give us room along the sides of the garage for more storage too.”

Ashlyn spoke quickly as she focused on eating her pasta and trying not to put too much food in her mouth as she talked. Ali just watched her, adoringly. Clearly the blonde had spent a lot of time thinking about what to do with all of the window samples and literature and other crap she needed to keep someplace so she could do her job. All of that stuff was taking up half her basement at her house in Stoneham. She couldn’t remember showing any of that to Ashlyn but she assumed the keeper had gotten a good luck down there while she took care of the flu-ridden brunette in April. It was just that type of care and concern that the keeper always showed for Ali that melted her heart. She hadn’t even thought about getting her work stuff to fit and function at the big old house, focusing more on the things inside her actual house first. But of course Ashlyn had thought about it and even started to plan for it. No-one had ever cared for her the way her keeper did. 

“I love you so much” Ali said emotionally, her voice catching, as she squeezed Ashlyn’s hand.

The blonde put down the piece of garlic bread she was about to take a bite out of and reached for Ali’s other hand. Once she held both of the brunette’s hands she leaned in with a concerned look on her face.

“What’s the matter sweetheart? Why are you upset?”

Ali felt tears welling in her eyes and tried to rein in her emotions. She tilted her head to one side just a little as she answered her love.

“I’m not upset Ash. I just...I can’t believe how much I love you sometimes and it catches me by surprise” she explained in a quiet voice. “I love you so fucking much I just don’t know what to do.”

Ashlyn felt her chest unclench and her breathing return to normal as she relaxed under her girlfriend’s sweet words.

“I love you too honey. You gave me a heart attack there for a minute” the blonde chuckled and leaned across the table to kiss Ali on the lips.

The brunette met Ashlyn’s lips with her own and hummed into the kiss. 

“Yummm, garlic. You taste good.”

“Gram taught me that one” Ashlyn chuckled. “If you’re going to cook with garlic make sure your girl eats it too so you both taste like garlic.” She kissed Ali again and then sat back down.

“You’re so sweet to me Ash and it means the world to me. Thank you.”

“Well I love you. I couldn’t stop thinking about you if I tried” the keeper giggled as she picked up her garlic bread again.

“Syd and I are going to go through everything at my house and make lists about what’s coming and going and all that. I hadn’t thought about all my crap in the basement and garage yet.” She sighed heavily as she picked up her fork again. “Please don’t take this the wrong way babe, but with the busy season coming up I might not have everything perfect right away. I may just dump it all in your garage until January when I can take my time and really organize it. Will that be ok?”

“Al, as long as you’re here and all your stuff is here I really don’t care where it is. Unless you do, I mean. You know what I mean” she grinned at the brunette. “We’ll have tons of time in January to get everything put just where you want it. I just want you here. I don’t want half your stuff in Stoneham anymore. I don’t want there to be a question about where you’re going to sleep. I don’t want to wake up without you anymore. I want this to be our home.”

Ali dropped her fork, stood up and pulled Ashlyn into a passionate kiss almost knocking her wine glass over in the process. Ashlyn recovered from the surprise attack and wrapped her arms around the brunette, deepening the kiss as they were about to break for air. Ali moaned when she felt the keeper’s tongue fill her needy mouth. She finally pulled back, gasping for air, when her lungs started to burn. They stepped to the side of the table and pulled their bodies together as they kissed again. Ashlyn loved the way the brunette felt in her arms. She loved Ali’s strong back and toned arms. Her hair was up in a ponytail and the work polo shirt she wore was soft under the blonde’s fingers. Ashlyn worked her lips across the brunette’s jaw over to her ear as her hands roamed her back and ass. Ali moaned and tilted her head back so Ashlyn had more access to her neck. The keeper didn’t need to be invited twice. She licked her way down Ali’s neck, loving the salty taste. Ashlyn loved the way she smelled after spending a hot day on the road. Her shampoo and body wash had faded but not quite disappeared, overcome by Ali’s natural scent mixed with a little bit of sweat.

“I’ve been thinking about fucking you since you kissed me in the truck this morning” Ali said hotly as she grabbed two fistfuls of blonde hair.

“So we’re done eating then?” Ashlyn asked with a smirk as she pulled back to look lustfully at her horny girlfriend.

“Oh no, I’m just getting started” Ali replied seductively and licked her lips as she led the keeper to the couch in the family room.


	24. Sex in the Sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning.  
> I know you're all getting impatient for the strap-on scene. Next chapter. Chapter 25 ladies.   
> But in the meantime, please enjoy this chapter with its own sex scene. Or not.

As Ali lay in the keeper’s arms Wednesday morning, waiting for her alarm to go off, she caressed her tattooed side and traced the beautiful flowers and butterflies. Ashlyn smiled with her eyes closed as she felt the tender fingertips working their way down her side and then back up again.

“I love the way you do that” she said in her hoarse morning voice.

“Oh yeah?” Ali asked.

“Yeah, it’s so soft but not too soft. It’s not ticklish. It’s just perfect” Ashlyn opened her eyes and turned her head to the left to look at her girl.

“Morning babe” Ali said as she leaned up to kiss Ashlyn’s lips softly.

The brunette turned her alarm off, wishing she could spend the day in bed with her girlfriend. But she had to stick to her plan. Will power, she could do it!

“I’m sorry we didn’t finish your delicious dinner honey” Ali said sincerely. She met Ashlyn’s eyes and made sure she knew how serious she was. “I know you worked really hard to make that for me and I loved it and it was delicious. Thank you.” She leaned up for another kiss and stroked the blonde’s cheek with her thumb.

“It’s ok. We were almost done anyway. I don’t mind skipping ahead a little bit for dessert.” Ashlyn wagged her eyebrows playfully and patted Ali on the butt through the covers.

“Well I want to make sure you know how much I appreciate you doing that for me Ash.”

“I do princess. I do.” Ashlyn smiled warmly at the brunette in her arms and remembered the night before.

They had dozed off together on the couch in the family room after two orgasms each. Ashlyn woke up a little while later and padded towards the kitchen where she saw Ali, completely naked, putting leftovers away. The light from the open refrigerator washed over her as the keeper leaned on the edge of the counter and whistled her approval. 

“And I’m really really sorry I forgot the toys at my house” Ali continued as she closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’ll make sure I get them tonight after dinner. I promise.”

When they finally made it upstairs the night before they were both eager to continue what they had started at Ali’s house the previous Friday. They had been in such a rush to get back up to Gloucester to take Ashlyn’s family out to dinner that the brunette had just swept all of the toys into the drawer of the nightstand. It wasn’t until last night when she went looking in the nightstand in Ashlyn’s bedroom for them that she realized her mistake with a groan.

“That’s the best reason yet for why you need to move in here sooner rather than later” Ashlyn had quipped at the time. But even the joke couldn’t mask her disappointment. They had both been frustrated with the situation. 

“You’re having dinner with Syd and then coming up?” Ashlyn clarified that morning, just wanting to make sure she knew the plan.

“Nooooo, I’m having dinner with Syd, stopping at my house for a bag of goodies and then coming up” the brunette corrected with a giggle and a kiss.

//

Ali sped up the highway towards the big old house Wednesday night. She pulled into the driveway at about 7:30pm and jumped out of the truck, leaving all of her work stuff for the next morning. She put the bag of goodies on the desk with her purse and saw a note from Ashlyn.

“Gone for a swim. Come join me if you get home early. Love, Ash”

Ten minutes later Ali walked across the footbridge at the end of Beach Rd onto Good Harbor beach, scanning the sand and water for the blonde. The lifeguards had left for the day at 5pm and the beach house, restrooms and showers were closed and locked at 6pm. The gates to the parking lot would get chained at 9pm. There weren’t too many people there. It was still hot, in the low 80s, and Ali wondered if more people would come for an evening swim after eating dinner. She walked towards the water and finally saw her blonde headed beauty walking out of the ocean, shaking the water from her ears. Ali stood there and admired her gorgeous girlfriend in her black racerback bikini top and green and black board shorts that were so short it didn’t seem right to call them board shorts. Ashlyn’s muscles flexed in both her arms as she gathered her long hair into one big rope and twisted it to get the water out. Her abs rippled as she tossed her hair back over her shoulder and lowered her arms again. The muscles in her long legs tensed and released as she strode through the thigh-deep ocean towards the beach. Goddamn she was magnificent. The brunette was mesmerized and it took her a minute to realize that the keeper was waving at her and heading her way.

“Hey! You made it” Ashlyn declared as she jogged the last few steps to where her girlfriend had stopped. She kissed Ali’s lips quickly and took her by the hand to lead her to where her beach bag, towel and other stuff was.

“How was your swim?” Ali asked as she dropped her bag next to the blonde’s, kicked her sandals off and pulled her tank top over her head.

“Great. The water’s beautiful, someone said it was about 68 degrees right now but the tide is coming in so it’ll get a little colder when it does.” 

Ashlyn tried not to stare at her sexy girlfriend standing there in her bikini. It was a patterned mix of coral and slate blue and grey and the top clasped around her broad back with two slate blue strings tied up behind her neck. Ali’s skin wasn’t officially olive but it wasn’t as fair as Ashlyn’s either. The brunette tanned easily but always complained about her farmer’s tan from wearing her short-sleeved work polos outside all summer long. And her legs were never as tanned as her arms because she wore long pants outside all summer too. Ali needed a good few days in the sun to even everything out. Unfortunately, she couldn’t have sex with Ashlyn on the beach so tanning had taken a back seat when it came time to decide how to fill her free time.

They smirked at each other as they held hands and walked into the sea. 68 degrees sounded warm but when compared to the 82 degree hot humid air it was chilly at first. Ali gasped when the cool water hit her crotch and hips. Ashlyn smiled over at her and dove in, staying under for a minute until she popped up ten feet in front of the brunette.

“Come on” she called and smiled some more.

Ali held her breath and dove under, just as the blonde had done. She had her contacts in so she couldn’t open her eyes under water but she surfaced a couple of feet in front of the keeper. Ashlyn closed the gap and reached for Ali’s hips, pulling their bodies together under the water. 

Good Harbor beach was one of the nicest in all of New England. It was a nice gradual white sandy beach that was really wide and really flat as you went out into the ocean. At low tide you could walk out to Salt Island and explore the rocky shores of the tiny island. The down side to having such a nice, wide open beach was that there weren’t any places to hide or find privacy if you were looking for some. There were some nooks and crannies out by Bass Rocks, the big mansions perched high above on the cliff that jutted out into the Atlantic. But if you sought solace in one of those little spots there was always the chance someone in one of those mansions up above could see you. For that matter, any pervert up there with a telescope in their fancy house could watch anybody down on the beach at any time. Ali had done the windows in one of those mansions several years earlier and they had a telescope set up to look at birds and boats and ships. She hadn’t thought twice about it at the time.

Ashlyn moved them out deeper, walking along the smooth sand, until the water was almost shoulder high. Ali wrapped her legs around the keeper’s waist with her arms around her back. Ashlyn moved her hands down the brunette’s back and settled them on her firm ass, squeezing gently and smiling as Ali bit her lip and closed her eyes.

“Did you want to swim?” she questioned her beautiful brunette as she moved them around in the water.

“Not really” Ali replied seductively and gave the blonde a slow, meaningful kiss as the water danced around her shoulders.

Ashlyn kept one hand on her ass and moved the other one down the outside of the strong thigh wrapped around her hip. She spread her fingers out and massaged Ali’s leg down to her knee and then back up again to her ass while they kissed. Ali kept one arm around Ashlyn’s back, holding her in place, and brought her other hand back to the blonde’s side. She ran the back of her fingers up and down along the keeper’s side and moved them as far into her stomach between their bodies as she could, repeating the delicate motion.

It was beginning to get darker. The sun would be setting behind the beach in another fifteen minutes or so. The east facing beach was better for sunrises and Ashlyn made a mental note to bring Ali down for one sometime that week. Their week was getting away from them. It was Wednesday night already and before they knew it Meg would be there Sunday afternoon. The blonde couldn’t wait for Friday and hopefully Saturday when it would be just the two of them with no interruptions of any kind. She hadn’t told Ali yet but she was planning to spend the whole time naked and wrapped in her arms. And they were going to use the goddamned strap-on! For fuck’s sake. That image, that fantasy, was what kept Ashlyn under control so far that week. She was trying desperately to give Ali the time she needed to get her work done so they could have Friday and Saturday all to themselves. She hoped the brunette would work from home at the big old house the next day, Thursday. Ashlyn wanted to have her nearby and she also wanted to prove to her that she could behave and let the brunette focus. Tomorrow would be a perfect test and the blonde was going to pass the test no matter what it took. 

As they enjoyed another languid kiss they moved against each other, hard nipples and fingers and hands on taut abs and strong thighs and soft skin. The thought of the dildo sliding in and out of Ali’s pussy sent a flood of passion between Ashlyn’s legs and she moaned loudly. She moved one of her hands down and lightly stroked the brunette’s bikini-covered core without even thinking twice. The keeper moaned again when she felt how hot Ali’s center was. Ali writhed in her arms and bit the blonde’s lip hard in response. She rested her head on Ashlyn’s shoulder, dizzy from the desire that had quickly overtaken them both. They had not planned to do anything other than swim and maybe kiss out there on the very public beach but, as Ashlyn continued to walk them around the shoulder deep water, sometimes even the best-laid plans go awry. 

The blonde stroked Ali’s core again with a little more pressure and the brunette moaned into her shoulder.

“We have to be quiet babe” Ashlyn whispered into Ali’s ear before sucking the lobe between her lips and nibbling on it.

“Mmmm hmmmm” the brunette nodded her head weakly and moved her lips to Ashlyn’s neck. She put some separation between their chests, just enough so she could bring her hand up and cup the keeper’s breast. The water was at Ashlyn’s shoulders so nobody could see anything below that. And, as the sky got darker so did the water. Ali pinched the blonde’s nipple lightly and felt a gush between her legs when Ashlyn gasped.

Ashlyn felt the gush too and slipped her fingers inside Ali’s bikini, trying to move the fabric aside. She was warm and wet, and not from the ocean wet, and the blonde had an overwhelming urge to sink her fingers deep into Ali’s pussy right that minute. She fumbled again with the tight bikini bottoms.

“Take them off” Ali whispered as she released her legs and let them float down in front of the keeper. “But don’t fucking lose them.”

“I won’t baby.”

Ali hung onto the blonde’s shoulders as Ashlyn used both hands to pull the bikini down over her thighs. The brunette brought one knee up and the keeper pulled the bikini down her calf and over her foot, then they repeated it with the other knee and Ali wrapped her legs around her hips again with a shudder. Ashlyn stuffed the bikini bottoms into the side of her own bottoms and made sure they would stay put. Ali was already trying to grind her core against the blonde’s stomach. She had her forehead tucked into Ashlyn’s neck and she pressed their chests together tightly with her arms around her back. Ashlyn kept walking them around going in towards the beach just a bit as the tide slowly came in. She didn’t want to drag things out. The water was getting cooler and they were in public and she was afraid her shy girlfriend would suddenly change her mind if it took too long.

Ashlyn told Ali to hold onto her and the brunette nodded as she sucked on the keeper’s neck. The blonde took her left hand and put it between their bodies, thumb down and palm just above Ali’s mound. She moved it until she could rub the brunette’s clit with her thumb when she was ready. Ali felt the hand and immediately started grinding again, looking for some pressure for her aching clit. The keeper reached around and underneath the brunette’s ass with her right hand and began running her long fingers through Ali’s folds. She spread the brunette’s lips out and teased her entrance for a minute, loving the way Ali felt all around her in her arms.

“I love you” Ashlyn whispered thickly, her own arousal steadily rising.

“Ash, fuck me. I need you” Ali whimpered and squirmed.

The blonde pushed two fingers into Ali’s center and made her gasp against her neck.

“Fuck” the brunette murmured.

“Shhhh.”

Ashlyn couldn’t believe how wet Ali had gotten in such a short time. She started to thrust her fingers in and out, slowly at first but then faster as she felt the brunette’s walls starting to twitch. The angle was all wrong for hitting her g-spot so the blonde didn’t even try to hit it directly. She would just have to hope the thrusts were deep and strong enough to do the trick. Ali stopped sucking and kissing the keeper’s neck. She let her mouth hang open as she rested her head on Ashlyn’s shoulder, spitting out the occasional sea water that splashed up into her face. She held on to the blonde with one arm and moved her other hand to her own bikini-clad breast. The brunette started to pinch and tug on her own nipple, hitting Ashlyn’s breast at the same time every once in a while, making the keeper suck in her breath.

As soon as she felt Ali’s walls start to tighten around her fingers the blonde began to gently rub her clit with her thumb.

“Ohhhhhhhh...” Ali groaned as quietly as possible and tugged harder on her nipple.

Ashlyn kept thrusting and increased the pressure and speed on the brunette’s needy clit. Ali started panting as they moved through the water and the darkening sky. She was grinding hard against Ashlyn’s thumb and could feel her orgasm start low in her belly.

The blonde was thrusting as fast as she could and doing her best at Ali’s clit, it was difficult to even move her thumb with the brunette pressing against it so hard. She bent her head down and sucked on Ali’s pulse point for a few seconds and then bit the soft skin. The orgasm welled up from below and burst over the brunette. Ashlyn turned them so Ali was on the ocean side and she was on the beach side to try and shield her girlfriend from any spying eyes as the brunette came hard. Her body convulsed and shook as the blonde held her tightly, wrapping both arms around her back protectively. She squeezed her thighs so tightly around the keeper that she almost took Ashlyn’s breath away. Ali had shouted once as the orgasm took her but it didn’t even sound like a word. It was more like a guttural howl that came from the same deep place her orgasm had come from.

After a few minutes she stopped shuddering and her breathing started to level out again. Ashlyn held her limp body the whole time, carrying her along as she kept walking, and kissing her cheek and forehead and whatever other body part she could reach with her lips. She felt Ali smile against her neck and slowly start to hold on again.

“Ok baby?” the blonde asked tenderly as she kissed the side of her head again.

“Oh yeah” Ali said slowly and then giggled. “I can’t believe we just did that.” She ducked her face into the crook of the keeper’s neck again, blushing deep red. 

“Can you stand yet?” Ashlyn asked as she rubbed the brunette’s back and sides and thighs with her hands.

“I think so.” Ali shook her legs out and then put them down into the sand. She took a step back to slightly shallower water now that the keeper wasn’t holding her up higher, pulling her girlfriend with her. “Are you ok? I mean, I know you’re not okaayyy...yet” Ali winked. “But did I hurt you? Is your hand alright?” she asked and pulled Ashlyn’s hands up so she could kiss them.

“I’m good” the keeper grinned. “I’ll be better once we get home, I’m sure” she wagged her eyebrows at the brunette.

“Well let’s get going then beautiful” Ali suggested and kissed her girlfriend’s lips gently. She started walking them backwards towards the beach.

“Ummm,” Ashlyn began, grinning with her dimple popping out, “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but, you’re probably gonna wanna put some pants on there sexy.” She laughed out loud when she saw Ali’s horrified face look back at her.

“Jesus” Ali hissed out as she pushed them back out into deeper water. “How far were you going to let me go?”

Ashlyn was beyond pleased with herself but could tell the brunette was not so amused. She would think it was hysterical later, but not right at that moment. Not without her bottoms on yet.

“Just as far as you were Al. I would never let that happen honey” the keeper answered and pulled her bikini bottoms out of her shorts. “They’re right here. Come here I’ll help you.”

Ali grabbed them, still not amused, and stepped into them under the water. She pulled them up and shook her head.

“Dammit” she said louder than she wanted to.

She reached back down, took them off, turned them around and then angrily stepped into them again. Ashlyn could barely contain her laughter as she witnessed the silly mix-up. Once she had her pants back on Ali’s mood lightened considerably. She kissed Ashlyn one last time before they walked out of the water arm-in-arm to try and find their bags in the dark.

//

As Ali drove to her house early Thursday morning to get her office work done as efficiently as possible Ashlyn watched the serviceman work on the washing machine in the mudroom. Mrs. Riley was busy cleaning the house and as the keeper stood there she was glad the brunette had made her escape that morning. As much as she wanted her to work from the big old house that day she realized there was too much going on that morning anyway. Ali had wanted to stay too. She had planned to stay and work in her new office. But she had a VPN set up at her own house for her computer to connect to her work programs and server and it went so much faster when she worked from her own house. When she was at Ashlyn’s she had to go onto the internet and access the programs that way using the wifi and it was just slower. She would have to talk to her IT guy at work about getting the VPN set up at Ashlyn’s starting in September. That was the timeline the couple had agreed upon for Ali moving in. August was a bust. Hannah and Meg would be there next week and Ali would not. Then they were going to Satellite Beach for a week’s vacation so they could be at Chris & Beth’s Jack & Jill wedding shower. That would leave Ali one full week still working at home with her speedy VPN connection to get caught up from vacation. Then she would move in. They would take the next two weekends, the second of which was Labor Day weekend, and move all of her stuff up to Gloucester.

Ashlyn cringed as she heard the serviceman say something about the pressure switch not working with the water inlet valve and having to replace one or both parts. He got on his phone to call in the parts and see how long it would take to get them. The keeper was sure it was going to be expensive. She and Ali had talked about getting a large capacity washing machine to replace Ashlyn’s current machine and if the repair was going to be more than a certain amount of money then they would just go and buy the new and improved one instead. They did a lot of laundry in that house between two professional athletes and a popular house near the beach. They may as well buy a machine that had a chance of keeping up with them. And Ali had to talk with Sydney about whether she and Dom were actually going to buy her house. If they were serious then they would need to decide together about some of the appliances and furniture. And if they weren’t going to buy it then Ali would need to get it put on the market so someone else could. She was expecting an answer from Sydney when they got together Sunday afternoon to start organizing Ali’s move.

As she sat on the desk in the mudroom waiting for the serviceman to come back inside after making his phone call, Ashlyn’s mind wandered back to the night before as they had come crashing through the side entry door with their hands all over each other. She smiled and chuckled as she remembered speed walking, both of them still wet having not bothered to even dry themselves off when they finally found their bags and towels on the dark beach, across the footbridge and up the road towards the house. They held hands and giggled, trying to be quiet, as they made their way in the dark. For the second night in a row they didn’t make it upstairs to the bed. They stripped their suits off in the mudroom, hands and lips all over each other, and then spread their towels out on top of the plush rug in the front living room. Ashlyn had moved the coffee table up towards the recliner so they had more room. She had never been more thankful that she had bought the extra thick carpet pad than she was as she lay on her back while the feisty brunette moved around on top of her. Her x-rated thoughts were interrupted when she realized Mrs. Riley was trying to ask her something from the kitchen. She grinned and went to talk with the older woman and offer her a cup of tea.

//

The brunette worked like a whirlwind. On her best days she could outwork anybody. She was fast and smart and efficient. She didn’t make many mistakes or have to go back and re-do things. She needed to have one of her best days that day and she did. She let her work phone ring unanswered, unless it was somebody she recognized and needed to talk to for one of the quotes, and go to voicemail so she wouldn’t be distracted. Ali flew through her pile of folders and got quotes done and emailed out for every one of them. Then she went into her other big work program and logged in all of her appointments for the week and entered in a few that she had scheduled for the next week. She entered new projects in and did all of the extremely tedious data entry work that her job had come to require. Back when she started some of the old-timers were still using index cards to keep track of information on their contractor customers. Boy had things changed over the past decade. 

Her biggest struggle was over lunch. If she stopped and went and got something to eat for lunch she would lose time. If she pushed through lunch and just went to the kitchen and grabbed some cheese and crackers to tide her over until she could eat a real meal a little later, hopefully with Ashlyn on the beach, then she could keep working and be finished sooner. ‘Fuck It’ she said to herself as she went for the cheese and crackers. 

//

It was 2:30pm when Ali pulled into the driveway of the big old house and she was giddy with excitement. She felt like a kid on the last day of school before summer break. She had worked her ass off that week and it had paid off. She was caught up on her paperwork and reporting and had returned many of her calls during her drive up to Gloucester. She didn’t like to do that because she couldn’t take notes while she was driving. She spent ten minutes in her truck, in Ashlyn’s driveway, writing everything down that she could remember from the phone conversations. She jumped when Ashlyn knocked on her window.

“Hey baby, you’re here” Ashlyn said excitedly. “Well, are you here with more work to do, which is totally cool, or...”

“Nope. I’m all done.” The brunette grinned and kissed her girlfriend on the lips and giggled. “I just have to turn my ‘out of office’ notice on at 5pm for my vacation day tomorrow. But other than that you’ve got me for an extra two hours this afternoon.” 

Ashlyn scooped her up and carried her in the side entrance bridal style as Ali squealed and giggled.

“But all my stuff...”

“I’ll get it in a minute princess, don’t you worry.”

The blonde gently lowered her onto the big sectional couch in the front living room and kissed her deeply as her hand roamed down her side and hip. Ali deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around the keeper’s neck, pulling her close and moaning into the kiss. They kissed for a few more minutes until Ali’s stomach growled loudly.

“Geez Al, didn’t you eat lunch?” Ashlyn asked, concerned.

“No, I wanted to get finished and get up here as fast as I could” she explained and kissed the blonde again softly.

“Well why don’t you eat something and I’ll bring your stuff in. Then we can figure out what our plans are for the next two and a half days. Ok?”

They decided to drive up to Rockport and stroll around all the shops and have dinner up there on the water somewhere, hopefully watching the sunset. They also had a practical conversation about how stocked the house was so if they decided not to go anywhere for the next two days they wouldn’t starve or run out of toilet paper. Ali was very happy to hear that her thoughtful girlfriend had gone grocery shopping already. She had also gone to the liquor store and run a few other errands too.

They were both being coy with each other about what they wanted to do Friday and Saturday. Finally, Ali admitted what she really wanted as they made the short drive up to Rockport.

“I want to lie around naked with you again for two days and have sex whenever we want and snuggle and nap and just be as close to you as possible Ash.” She paused and smiled when the blonde squeezed the hand she was holding. “Our six month anniversary is on Monday, not that it changes anything I just said. I’d want to do that no matter what date or month or year it was. And I don’t want to do gifts or cards or any of that. But since it happens to be our six month anniversary I thought we could have a little naked celebration to remember those first crazy few days when we got together.” She ran her hand up Ashlyn’s arm and squeezed the back of her neck lightly as she leaned over and kissed her bicep. “What do you think?”

The blonde grinned and even though Ali couldn’t see the dimple on the other side of her face, she knew it was there. 

“You probably won’t believe this but I’ve been fantasizing about doing exactly that all week long.”

“You have?!” Ali asked, surprised.

“Honest to God” Ashlyn confirmed, nodding her head and winking at her beautiful girlfriend. “It’s a fucking perfect plan.”

As they spent the late afternoon and early evening walking around downtown Rockport they held hands and shopped and ate junk food, just a little, and talked more about the next couple of days. Ashlyn expressed her desire to finish her ‘have sex in all beds and couches in the house’ rule once and for all by having sex in the bed in the front bedroom. Ali quickly agreed. Whitney’s bed was her own bed so it didn’t count, they clarified, relieved. Ali brought up the camping mattress in front of the fireplace challenge that they had begun almost exactly six months ago. Ashlyn’s eyes lit up apparently having forgotten about that one. They spent the next several minutes trying to remember which fireplaces they had already had sex in front of and if you had to do it on both sides of a double-sided fireplace to complete the challenge. Ashlyn believed that the fireplace had to be lit for it to truly count and Ali couldn’t come up with a good argument around it so the fireplace challenge might have to wait for winter weather.

They ate dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Back Harbor and Gull Cove in the distance. It was a beautiful sunset and they ate in the most peaceful quiet you could imagine, watching the sky turn vibrant pink and purple and orange before going dark. The restaurant and other diners around them were noisy but they were just still and silent as they shared a connection that was deeper than any words could have been for them at that moment. They even split a dessert just to watch the rest of the color drain from the sky.

As they walked back to the jeep in the darkening night they wrapped an arm around each other’s waist and held on tightly to one another. They took their time and enjoyed every single step.


	25. Buckle Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning. Basically the whole chapter is smut with some talking in the middle.  
> Merry Christmas ya filthy animals. <3

As lovely and romantic as their time together in Rockport had been, they were very happy to get back to the big old house for some unfinished, long-awaited business with a certain sex toy. Ashlyn had been able to think of little else for a full week. It had been last Friday that Ali surprised her with their afternoon delight and satin restraint play at her house in Stoneham. They had run out of time for anything else and it had been driving the keeper crazy ever since.

Ali took a quick minute to put her ‘out of office’ on her phone and email so she wouldn’t have to worry about either for the next two days. And Ashlyn made herself a whiskey drink and carried it, the bottle of red wine Ali had opened the night before and a wine glass up the back stairs. She came back down for a few bottles of water and her girlfriend and they both went upstairs together. The blonde took both dildos out of the night stand drawer and carried them to the bathroom to wash them again, just to be safe and sure. She had asked Ali where they were while they were waiting for dessert at the restaurant and the anticipation had been building for both women ever since. Ali was nervous but excited. She had had sex with men before but never really enjoyed it very much. There were two guys in college, one of whom was a pretty serious boyfriend, and then Willem over in Germany. None of them had been particularly remarkable or memorable. In all honesty, she couldn’t blame the lackluster sex on them alone. She didn’t know what she was doing either and probably hadn’t helped the situation much. She was intrigued at the thought of using the strap-on with Ashlyn. Anything with Ashlyn was unbelievably hot and sexy and she expected getting fucked by the blonde wearing a dildo to be just as good as anything else they had done. She shivered a little as she thought about it and took a drink of wine while she waited for her keeper.

Ashlyn brought the cleaned toys back over to Ali’s nightstand and put the double-sided one back in the drawer with the red satin ribbons. If they got around to those then they’d be easy to grab. But the main focus was the strap-on. She left the pink dildo and the soft leather harness out on top with the two bottles of lube. She took a sip of her whiskey drink and smiled at her girlfriend who was watching her from the other side of the bedroom.

“What are you doing way over there sexy?” the keeper teased as she started to unbutton her own shirt. 

Ali walked over to the bed, put her wine glass down on Ashlyn’s nightstand and pulled the covers off, dropping them on the floor at the foot of the bed. She crawled across the bed towards the blonde, knelt on the edge of the bed and took over the unbuttoning job as Ashlyn caressed her face with her hands.

“I was thinking maybe we should do a little tutorial on this bad boy before we get all hot and bothered. I don’t want to go too fast when we’re not ready. What do you think?” she asked her girlfriend carefully.

The truth was that they shouldn’t have done the satin restraints last week either, not without talking first. Ashlyn knew it at the time but hadn’t wanted to make Ali feel bad about it. She also knew that she trusted Ali implicitly and that the restraints wouldn’t be a big deal so she had let it slide. But she wanted to make sure they talked about the new things before they got too carried away. She wanted the brunette to be as comfortable as possible with the strap-on so she could enjoy it instead of worrying about it.

“Whatever you think babe” Ali replied and kissed the cleavage above Ashlyn’s bra she had just uncovered as she finished the last of her buttons and pushed the shirt over her girlfriend’s shoulders.

The blonde straightened her arms and let her shirt fall onto the floor behind her. She brought her hands up and held Ali’s face, slowly bringing her up to meet her gaze.

“I want to know what you think too. I want to make sure this is fun for both of us so now’s the time to ask questions and figure out how we want this to go.” She leaned forward and kissed the brunette’s lips softly, stroking her beautiful cheekbones with her thumbs.

Ali closed her eyes as her girlfriend kissed her and rested her hands on the keeper’s hips giving them a soft squeeze.

“I don’t know what to tell you Ash.” Ali opened her eyes and smiled warmly at the keeper. “I want to try it. I want you to wear it and I want to wear it. I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to strap-ons so I just figured you would wear it first. But whatever you think is best.” She kissed the blonde lightly on the lips. “I trust you.”

The electricity that had been coursing between them all evening sparked as their lips met. The keeper lifted Ali’s shirt over her head and stepped closer to the brunette so they could hug and hold each other while their hands roamed. 

“Sounds like a good plan” Ashlyn answered between kisses.

Ali lifted the sports bra up and over the blonde’s head and licked her lips as she cupped both breasts and squeezed them. Ashlyn reached behind the brunette and unhooked her bra, pulling it forward and putting her hands on Ali’s small, perky breasts. They kissed passionately for several minutes, Ali dropping her arms down so her bra fell to the floor near the edge of the bed.

“God you make me crazy” Ashlyn breathed out as they broke for air.

The brunette unbuttoned and unzipped the keeper’s shorts, kissing her way down her chest and stomach as she bent over to push the shorts and boy shorts down past Ashlyn’s knees. Just seeing her gorgeous girlfriend naked in front of her made Ali wet. Ashlyn pulled the brunette up and crashed their lips together in another hot kiss, sliding her tongue into Ali’s mouth and moaning as her hands kept squeezing her breasts. Ali sucked the blonde’s tongue into her mouth and stroked it with her own as her hands grabbed Ashlyn’s toned ass and pulled her into her own hips. They made out like that for a long time, loving the closeness and feel of bare skin as they caressed and rubbed and touched each other.

“Mmmmm...oh Ash...”

Ashlyn pulled Ali’s shorts and panties down past her hips and thighs as the brunette knelt in front of her on the edge of the bed. The blonde wasted no time reaching around to knead and massage Ali’s ass, moaning loudly as she felt the soft skin and the firm muscle.

“Fuck Ali, your ass is amazing” she said between kisses. “I swear to God, I get so fucking wet just thinking about your beautiful, sexy ass...”

“Well it loves you too” Ali purred as she reached between Ashlyn’s legs and felt just how wet the keeper was. “Babe” she moaned out as another wave of passion flooded her own core, “you’re so wet.” She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on Ashlyn’s shoulder, momentarily overcome by a powerful flash of desire. “Jesus you drive me wild.”

The keeper put one arm around Ali’s back and guided her back onto the bed. She pulled off her shorts and panties and crawled on top of her, sliding her thigh in between the brunette’s legs and putting pressure on her center. Ali brought her knee up, the one that the blonde wasn’t lying on, and started grinding against Ashlyn’s thigh and moaning. The keeper moved her mouth down and took one of Ali’s breasts in between her lips. She licked all around it and ran her tongue across the stiffening nipple a few times before sucking on it hard. They both moaned and the blonde went to work on Ali’s neck, licking and nipping and sucking on it, down to her collarbone. She wasn’t one to leave a lot of hickeys usually but she purposefully marked the brunette’s pulse point as Ali kept grinding on her leg.

Ashlyn saw the familiar flush starting to work up her girlfriend’s chest and neck. Soon it would creep all the way up to her cheeks.

“Ash...” Ali whimpered desperately. “I...need...”

Before she could finish, Ashlyn gave her a passionate kiss and looked into her eyes as their lips parted.

“I love you Al.”

She kissed across the brunette’s chest, around her breasts and down her flat stomach to her hips. Ashlyn licked and bit and then licked again at the Penn State tattoo, loving the way Ali’s skin felt under her hands and lips and tongue. She moved her right hand over to the sensitive spot just below Ali’s other hip and the brunette groaned and writhed beneath her. Ashlyn was trying to take her time and make sure her girl was good and worked up but when she caught a whiff of her wet pussy she couldn’t contain herself. She lay down flat on her stomach with her face between Ali’s muscular legs. She bent both of the brunette’s legs up at the knees and spread them out a little wider. The sight and smell of her favorite pussy, the only pussy she ever wanted to see and breathe in ever again, made her shiver with excitement. The keeper dove in, licking and sucking Ali’s slick folds. She used broad strokes with her strong tongue, starting at the bottom of the brunette’s entrance and going all the way up to her aching clit. 

“Fuck yes, babe” Ali groaned out with her eyes closed and her hands buried in blonde locks.

The keeper licked and sucked, carefully avoiding her clit. She didn’t want Ali to be too worked up until she was ready with the strap-on. Her own passion was starting to slide down her upper thighs and she rubbed them together looking for some sort of relief.

“Mmmmmmmmm” the blonde moaned into Ali’s pussy. “You taste amazing baby. Mmmmmm.”

The brunette started rubbing her own breast with one hand, keeping the other hand behind Ashlyn’s head and holding it in place, right where she wanted it.

“Ashlyn, please...” she murmured as she tilted up her hips to try and get more pressure.

“Ok gorgeous. I’ll take care of you.” The blonde put a warm open-mouthed kiss on her clit and let it linger there for a minute before getting up and reaching for the harness. Ali whimpered at the loss of contact.

Ashlyn adjusted the straps to what she thought would fit her correctly and inserted the medium sized pink dildo into the ring at the front of the harness. Ali raised herself up onto her elbows to watch her sexy keeper, surprised at how much it was turning her on. The blonde stepped into the harness but it was too loose. She adjusted it a couple of times until the soft leather fit her just right. She pushed the dildo back towards her and felt a nice pressure on her clit.

“Mmmm” she hummed and looked at her girlfriend who had a hazy, lustful look on her face as she watched from the bed. “There’s a bump that hits my clit when the right amount of pressure gets put on it” she explained. “It feels good” she grinned and pushed on it again.

Ali’s eyes got even darker than they already were and she flexed her hips and arched her back, horny as hell. Ashlyn put the two bottles of lube on the bed, close enough to reach if necessary, and looked at her girlfriend carefully. 

“Grab a pillow and put it under your lower back, right down under your ass almost.” 

The brunette swallowed hard and reached for a pillow. She was nervous and excited and not sure how she felt about Ashlyn wearing a strap-on. The blonde was so fucking gorgeous just as she was and Ali didn’t love the extra hardware ruining her view. She thought it looked a little silly if she was being honest. But she loved Ashlyn and she focused on the parts of her she could see, like her beautiful breasts with their soft pink nipples. 

“Are you ok baby?” Ashlyn asked softly as the brunette moved the pillow into position for her. “Remember, we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“I know” Ali answered quietly as Ashlyn crawled toward her and put her hands on top of the brunette’s bent up knees. 

She knelt between Ali’s legs and moved her hands down the sides of the brunette’s thighs, flexing her fingertips and applying light pressure. The keeper couldn’t tell what she was seeing in the chocolate eyes. Something was different, not wrong, but different. Ashlyn picked up one of Ali’s legs and kissed her way up it from the ankle to the knee and then up to the top of her thigh. She kissed her clit gently and then kept kissing her way down the other leg. She moved forward and licked the brunette’s folds again, making sure she was still wet and ready. 

“You taste so fucking good. Fucking unbelievable” the keeper mumbled around wet pussy lips and moaned loudly.

She sat back up on her knees and reached between her own legs, slowly. Ali rubbed her own breasts and watched her girlfriend curiously. Ashlyn was soaking wet, incredibly turned on to finally be doing this with her beautiful brunette, and she got her hand drenched in her own juices. She rubbed the dildo with her hand, coating it in her passion and getting it wet and ready for Ali. As the keeper rubbed on the dildo it hit her clit and made her moan and close her eyes half-way. She would have to be careful or she would come before Ali did.

Ali felt an incredible jolt in her core when she saw Ashlyn rub her own juices all over the strap-on. Fuck that was hot. That was why you try new things, who knew watching your sexy girlfriend lube up a dildo with her own passion could be that much of a fucking turn-on?

“Are you ready for me?” Ashlyn asked evenly. She didn’t want to pressure her at all if she was getting cold feet. She didn’t want her own excitement to influence Ali.

“Yes babe, I’m ready” she answered clearly, her voice husky from desire. “Just tell me what you want me to do.”

“Your job is to let me know what feels good and what doesn’t feel good. Talk to me. A lot. Tell me more or less or harder or softer or faster or slower...”

“Got it” Ali cut her off impatiently, not wanting to waste any more time.

Ashlyn chuckled and moved closer. Ali’s legs were bent at the knees and the blonde kissed the inside of her thighs, nipping a spot or two, as she pushed them out wide. She ran her fingers through the brunette’s folds and spread her lips before rubbing Ali’s juices on the dildo too.

“You’re really wet and I don’t think we need any lube but I can use some if you want.”

“If we don’t need it, then no” Ali answered quickly, eager to get going. She reached for Ashlyn wanting to touch her.

The keeper took the dildo in her hand and rubbed it up and down along Ali’s center, teasing her entrance with it and making the brunette curse and moan again. She leaned forward and put one arm on the bed next to Ali’s chest and smiled when her girlfriend immediately clutched at it, finally getting that touch. Ashlyn pushed the tip of the strap-on into Ali’s entrance and waited. She leaned down and kissed the brunette’s mouth slowly. Ali gasped at the sensation and then moaned into the blonde’s mouth as she deepened the kiss. They kissed for a few minutes and then the keeper moved in a little farther, trying to go slow and give Ali time to get used to it.

“Ashlyn” the brunette panted, breaking the kiss and meeting her girlfriend’s eyes, “I’m not going to break.” She reached for the back of the keeper’s thighs and pulled her slowly forward, driving the dildo deeper into her core. Ali groaned, closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip as she enjoyed the feeling of being filled. She held the blonde in place and slowly opened her eyes, levelling her with a lust-filled stare. “Now fuck me.”

Ashlyn practically passed out from all of her blood rushing to her clit and pussy. The sexy brunette had just about killed her with her words and stare. The keeper swallowed hard and kissed Ali desperately as she started to move slowly inside her.

“Mmmmmmmm, oh...yessss” Ali encouraged the blonde.

The keeper pressed her body down on top of the brunette’s, hard nipples dragging across each other as Ashlyn wrapped her arms around Ali and held her tightly, still moving slowly inside her. The kiss broke for a second so they could breathe but then Ali reached up and licked Ashlyn’s lips before kissing her hard. The blonde couldn’t get close enough to her tantalizing girlfriend. The pressure on her clit from the base of the strap-on moving against Ali’s walls felt incredible.

Ali felt the dildo moving inside her just enough to graze against her g-spot and stretch her walls. It felt amazing to have Ashlyn all over her and her lips and tongue inside the brunette’s needy mouth while still having her pussy pumped at the same time. God Ali loved that. She never even knew she missed it before right at that moment.

“Feels so good babe” she moaned out against the blonde’s lips.

Ashlyn was getting so excited that she was having trouble focusing. She was afraid she was too worked up to be able to make Ali come before she lost control herself. Her clit was on fire and she hadn’t even started really thrusting yet.

“Fuck this is hot” she husked out, moving her lips down Ali’s neck and sucking hard.

The keeper started to thrust, moving her hips back and forth against Ali’s wet pussy. She thought about the dildo as she tried to keep a steady pace. The length felt about right but she would have to talk to Ali about that to be sure. But it felt like the brunette might need something thicker. She thought the thickness would be just right for her own use but knew it was a little bit too short for her. They had purposefully chosen a medium sized, very average toy to start with so the blonde wasn’t disappointed with the misfit. They had expected it to not be exactly right. The distraction of thinking about the mechanics of the strap-on was helping her stay focused and she was grateful her mind had wandered there.

Ali had started panting and dragging her nails up and down the blonde’s back. Ashlyn gave her neck one more suck, gave her another searing kiss that literally took the brunette’s breath away, and then got back up on her knees so she could get to the serious thrusting she had so been looking forward to. Ali whimpered and opened her eyes as she missed the contact of her girlfriend’s warm body. The hungry look she saw in her keeper’s eyes chased any worries away. The brunette bit her bottom lip and tugged on her own nipples as she felt her juices soak the dildo inside her hot, wet center. Ashlyn pulled another pillow over and, when Ali lifted her hips for a second, added it to the first pillow raising the brunette’s hips and ass a little bit more. The blonde ran her hands down Ali’s beautiful body, resting them at the very top of her thighs which were spread out wide, right at her hips. 

“You’re so fucking sexy. I’m about to come right now and we’re just getting started” Ashlyn said, her voice hoarse from desire. 

The keeper kicked it up a notch and drove the strap-on deeper and faster. Ali let out a long, low groan as her whole body moved with Ashlyn’s thrusts. The blonde felt Ali’s walls clench but it was the brunette trying to get more friction, not the beginnings of her orgasm. Ashlyn briefly considered getting the purple two-sided dildo from the drawer. The wearer’s end was thicker and it would probably be better for Ali but she didn’t want to stop. The build-up had been too long as it was. Instead, she tried to angle her hips up more so the tip of the dildo would hit the brunette’s g-spot on each thrust. She heard another loud moan from her girlfriend and knew it was working. 

“Jesus. Unnhhh...fuck...mmmm.” Ali watched her keeper plowing the strap-on into her. It didn’t look silly any more. It felt fucking fantastic and was sexy as hell. It was way better than any straight sex she had ever had.

Ashlyn stared back at the brunette, mesmerized by the way her breasts were bouncing up and down with her movements. She wanted them in her mouth so bad but didn’t want to ruin the rhythm they had. She held onto Ali’s hips to hold her in place and every time the blonde pumped into her pussy, Ali rocked down to meet her. Ashlyn couldn’t be sure that the brunette’s clit was getting any contact from the harness. Something else to talk about afterwards. The keeper saw the flush creeping up Ali’s neck and heard the way she was panting and knew she was getting close. The urges to kiss her mouth and suck her nipples and lick her clit all hit her at once and she started to feel overwhelmed. That was not the time to have one of her momentary freezes because she couldn’t handle that her girlfriend was so fucking magnificent. She willed herself to stay focused on pumping faster and trying to keep the thrusts angled up.

“Oh my God...fuck...unnhhhhh.” Ali pinched her nipples and squeezed her breasts together as she moaned.

The keeper took her right hand and started to rub the brunette’s clit, gently at first, making sure it was wet. Ali’s eyes shot open when she felt the sensitive bud getting attention.

“Fuck! Yessssss!” she yelled and locked eyes with her girlfriend.

Ashlyn kept thrusting as fast as she could and rubbed harder on the brunette’s swollen clit. She had beads of sweat on her chest and her back and her forehead as she brought Ali towards her release. 

“I love you Ashlyn” Ali moaned out.

A minute later the keeper squeezed Ali’s clit as she pounded away and sent her beautiful brunette over the edge.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Ali shouted each word separately, getting louder and louder, as the orgasm carried her away. She came hard and her muscles contracted and her body shook and she kicked her leg out straight as the muscles in it spasmed. Ashlyn stayed inside her and moved the strap-on slowly trying to help her ride it out. Ali reached for her, still twitching, and the blonde lay on top of her and wrapped her up like she had done before. She brought her lips to the brunette’s neck and placed slow, open-mouthed kisses up to her ear and then back down, taking her time. She could feel Ali’s chest pounding underneath her as she tried to catch her breath. 

“I love you. So much. You’re gorgeous. I love you. Thank you. For letting me. Love you.” Ashlyn whispered between the kisses, never taking her lips off of Ali’s sweet, slightly sweaty skin.

The brunette tried to hold onto her keeper but her arms just wouldn’t stay up on her back. She wanted to wrap her legs around her too but she couldn’t even feel them. She felt the same sort of complete release she had felt the time she cried after her orgasm. It felt like she was hollow and floating, but in a good way. She just felt a complete and total deliverance from anything other than pleasure, bliss and happiness. But she wasn’t crying.

“Are you ok baby?” Ashlyn asked quietly, kissing her ear and her jaw as she leaned back and supported herself on her elbows. She started to pull out but Ali’s arms came to life and held the blonde in place.

“No, stay.” She opened her eyes and gave Ashlyn a deep, slow kiss. Just as the kiss was ending she started to cry and her whole body shook with sobs. She hugged the blonde down on top of her again and buried her face in her neck. “I love you” she said quietly through her tears and kissed Ashlyn’s neck.

“I love you too” Ashlyn answered and rolled them onto their sides with Ali’s face on top so the brunette could breathe better. “You’re ok though, right?”

“Yeah” she mumbled against the blonde’s skin as her sobs ceased. “Blissed out tears again. Sorry” she whispered the last word as her tears slowed.

“Don’t be sorry honey. I don’t care if you cry, as long as you’re ok.”

“But it’s weird” she whined weakly.

“So what?” Ashlyn leaned back so she could see her girl. “For all anybody knows, you’re the only one who’s actually doing it right and we’re all doing it wrong.” She smiled and her dimple appeared.

“Ok” Ali said making a face and shifting her hips. “Now you can take it out.”

Ashlyn reached down between them and pulled the dildo out of the brunette. Ali wiped her eyes and then stretched as the keeper rolled onto her back next to her. She unhooked the harness and slid it off, sitting up and taking the dildo in her hand as she removed it from the leather.

“Mmmmm” she moaned as she licked Ali’s sweet juices off of it.

“Fuck” Ali said softly and felt her clit twitch at the unbelievably sexy sight of her hot as fuck girlfriend sucking the pink dildo.

Ashlyn leaned back on her elbow next to the brunette and saw the dark look in her eyes again.

“Want a taste?” the keeper held the toy out between them and rested her hand on Ali’s hip.

“No thanks” Ali wrinkled her nose up at the idea.

“What’s the matter?” Ashlyn took another big lick and swirled her tongue around the tip before tossing it behind her on the bed.

“Nothing. That was sexy as hell” Ali answered and leaned over to kiss the blonde. “I just never really liked blow jobs.”

Ashlyn lay down facing her, their faces only inches apart. “How come? I mean, I’ve never given one so I have no idea. But most people seem to love them.”

“Guys love them. No girl I ever talked to loved them.” Ali chuckled. “If they loved the guy then they liked giving them but that was a big if.” She paused and kissed the keeper’s lips again, smiling. “You never slept with a guy or gave somebody head?” she asked shyly.

“Nope. Gold star right here” Ashlyn chuckled and pulled Ali closer to her, weaving their legs together. “It took me a little while to understand that liking girls was an option but I always knew I didn’t like boys that way.” It was her turn to place a kiss on her favorite lips. “So why don’t girls like blow jobs?”

“I’m sure it’s not all girls. I’m sure some of them must love giving them, I just never met one” she giggled. “But for me, I always felt like it didn’t matter that it was me down there giving head. Like,” she paused, searching for the right words to explain what she was trying to say, “like they couldn’t have cared less who, or what, was sucking them off. I could never shake that feeling. I’ve only slept with three guys so I don’t have a huge body of data to work with” she giggled again. “But I felt the same way with all three of them, even Brent who I thought I loved. It never felt connected for me. Sex felt connected and intimate but not the blow jobs. I don’t know.”

“So who was Brent? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Of course I don’t mind, you goof.” Ali giggled and kissed Ashlyn again, letting her lips linger for an extra minute. “He was my boyfriend in college, at Penn State. We dated for almost a year and I thought I loved him but I didn’t even know what love was then” she chuckled and shook her head. “I left him behind when I left Penn State behind. Never looked back. Never missed him for a minute. That told me a lot, once I got smart enough to look back on that time.”

“Was he your first time having sex?” Ashlyn asked bashfully.

“No. He was my second. Some guy we all knew from the men’s team was my first. Adam Collins. We were both freshmen and he was sweet, but terrible.” Ali laughed out loud at the memory and grinned. “Of course, at the time, I didn’t know any better so I thought it was amazing. I also didn’t understand what all the fuss was about because it didn’t feel very good or last very long and I definitely didn’t have an orgasm.” She chuckled again. “God we’re dumb when we’re young aren’t we?”

“That may be the understatement of the universe right there” Ashlyn agreed. “Who gave you your first orgasm? If you don’t...”

“Stop asking me if I mind telling you” Ali pinched the blonde’s arm lightly and made a stern face. Well, as stern as it could be with the big grin already on it. “I want you to know anything you want to know about my past and my experiences. Or inexperiences might be more accurate on this topic.” She laughed softly.

“Ow, ok” the keeper giggled and kissed her girlfriend.

“My first orgasm, besides myself, came from Brent but I know it wasn’t really his doing, it was almost by accident.” She laughed again and cuddled in closer to the keeper. “He didn’t know what he was doing any more than poor Adam did and Brent was a med student!”

“So how was it an accident?”

“We were at a party sophomore year and somehow we got playing truth or dare and somebody dared this girl, I don’t even remember her name now, to kiss the girl she thought was hottest...”

“Well that one’s easy. Obviously it had to be you. No other girl stood a chance” Ashlyn teased but actually meant it to be true. 

“Stop, dork” Ali flicked her hip playfully. “I was kind of a big deal at the time because we had just won the Big 10 conference championship and I was one of the co-MVPs of the tournament. I think that’s all it was. Or she could see my true lesbian self that I hadn’t come close to discovering yet” the brunette quipped.

“So what does this have to do with your accidental orgasm?” Ashlyn asked again. “That would be a great name for a band though, right?” They both laughed and then kissed for a minute.

“The kiss was pretty good, we were all drunk, but I remember being surprised at how good a kisser she was. Later that night Brent and I had sex and I was thinking of the kiss or of her or something because all of a sudden, boom!”

“Did Brent think he did it?”

“Of course. I knew it wasn’t him but I didn’t exactly understand what it was. He didn’t give me another one for a long time which I think really confused him. Poor guy.” The brunette shook her head and smirked at the memory and the boyfriend. “What about you? Who was your first time?”

“The first time I had sex was with Becky Shulman, who was also my first real kiss.”

“Ohh, the cheerleader came back for more than just the kiss I see” Ali teased gently.

“She did indeed” Ashlyn boasted proudly. “It was my senior year of high school and she came home for Christmas and we were at the same party and she offered to drive me home. Neither of us knew what we were doing, it was almost comical. We tried things but honestly didn’t know what to do to make each other feel good. So we basically made out a lot, kissed each other’s boobs and fingered each other a little bit.”

“So not your first orgasm then” Ali giggled and so did the blonde.

“No, not even close.”

“Who gave you your first orgasm then?”

“My first orgasm, not by myself, was with Stephanie Drozdowski” Ashlyn grinned and closed her eyes. “That girl changed my life” she chuckled as she opened her eyes to see Ali watching her intently.

“How old were you?” the brunette asked and slid her thigh up higher between the keeper’s long legs.

Ashlyn quirked an eyebrow at her girlfriend as she felt the brunette’s thigh inching closer to her core. 

“It was freshman year at UNC so 18. She was a junior on the team and we were both injured so we spent a lot of time in rehab together. We spent a lot of time together period. I had just met Whitney so we weren’t super tight yet.” The keeper held her breath for a minute as Ali ghosted a touch down her side that made her skin break out in goosebumps. “Anyway, we started having sex in some of our free time. There was no romance or anything. We weren’t in love or even dating. It was basically a friends with benefits arrangement that she was completely in control of.” Ashlyn leaned in and kissed the brunette softly and then Ali kissed her as she pulled back.

“I didn’t mind. I had no fucking clue what I was doing. I was a totally new person at college and felt like I could do anything and be who I really was for the first time in my whole life. Too bad I had no idea who that was” she laughed gently. “But this girl starts paying attention to me and then wants to have sex with me and I thought I’d won the lottery. Sex and no feelings to fight with or worry about. Like you said, I was young and dumb and didn’t realize how awesome all that stuff really was.”

“So how long did it go on?”

“A few months. After winter break we just stopped. I think she started dating somebody then. We never really talked about it or anything. We stayed friends. It was no big deal. But she’s the one who gave me my first orgasm and taught me a lot about having sex with girls.”

“Oh well I’d really like to thank her then” Ali smirked and kissed the keeper deeply. 

She brought her thigh all the way up to Ashlyn’s still wet center and pulled her closer with her hand on the blonde’s ass. The keeper moaned and started to grind against Ali’s thigh, still turned on from giving the brunette her orgasm twenty minutes earlier. 

“And I’d really like to thank you for being so patient and waiting until I could move again” Ali chuckled in a deep throaty voice as she trailed her mouth down the blonde’s neck, sucking and nipping and licking as she went. 

She let the keeper continue grinding while she worked her mouth down to her breast and quickly brought it to attention. Ali put her hand on Ashlyn’s hip and pushed the blonde over onto her back. Her core twitched and she licked her lips when she saw the keeper’s beautiful pussy just waiting to be devoured. She dove in without wasting another second and put her tongue to work licking broad strokes up and down Ashlyn’s silky folds. 

Ashlyn’s whole body relaxed into the sensation of finally being touched by her brunette. She pressed her head back against the bed, opened her hips wide and put one hand in Ali’s soft hair. She moved her hand gently through the chocolate locks and rubbed Ali’s scalp with her fingertips.

“Mmmmm that feels so good baby” the blonde breathed out and closed her eyes.

Ali reached both hands up and cupped the blonde’s beautiful breasts, squeezing them. She circled Ashlyn’s clit with her tongue a few times but didn’t make direct contact. She didn’t want her girlfriend to come too quickly, she wanted to make it good for her.

“Oh fuck Al” Ashlyn breathed in sharply as her clit jumped to life and her nipples hardened under the brunette’s fingers.

Ali made one more pass down the blonde’s full pussy with her tongue and then sucked on everything. Ashlyn flinched and her abs clenched for a minute as she groaned in pleasure. The keeper was so wet and just kept getting wetter.

“Damn you taste good” Ali murmured against the blonde’s entrance and then thrust her tongue inside the warm pulsing walls. “Mmmmmm” she moaned again as she twirled her tongue around, pushing against Ashlyn’s hot center.

Ashlyn tightened her grip on the brunette’s hair and held her head in place for a few minutes while Ali’s tongue moved in and out. She reached for her own clit with her other hand but Ali felt her movement when their arms touched on her stomach.

“Wait babe, I’ve got you” Ali said hoarsely as she looked up at Ashlyn’s dark, lust-filled eyes and stilled the blonde’s hand. “Can I try the strap-on?”

Just hearing the words made another gush of passion pool between the keeper’s legs. She wasn’t sure she could wait much longer but she also knew that almost anything would make her come at that point so it was a good time for Ali to try using the dildo.

“You wanna fuck me with it?” Ashlyn asked in a thick voice. “You gonna make me come so hard all over it?”

Ali swallowed and tried to stay in control as her whole body reacted to her girlfriend’s sexy voice. Her own core was soaked and wanting and she felt a jolt run all the way up her spine as she met Ashlyn’s aroused gaze.

“Fuck” she croaked out, her voice fighting with desire and passion, “Yeah...I’m gonna fuck you so good...”

She got on her knees and reached for the harness and dildo. It was slightly sticky with her own passion still covering it in some spots. Ashlyn watched her through lidded eyes while she re-positioned the pillows under her lower back and ass. Ali took the dildo, ran it between her own legs coating it in her own fresh juices and inserted it back into the harness. She was tempted to ride it herself she was so turned on again.

“Jesus Christ” Ashlyn moaned as she watched.

“See how wet you make me?” the brunette asked roughly. “I’m wet all the time for you Ashlyn, all for you.”

Ali got off the bed quickly and stepped into the harness. She took a minute to make sure she found the leg holes and then tried to secure the clasps but it was too tight. She looked up and saw the keeper with her knees bent up and one hand inside her own pussy, slowly thrusting, while her other hand tugged at her breast. The brunette felt another wave of passion drench her core.

“Fuck” she said softly as she stared at her sultry girlfriend, not even aware it was out loud.

“Loosen the straps a little at the buckle so they fit over that luscious ass of yours” Ashlyn instructed with a tremor in her heavy voice.

Ali adjusted the harness and buckled it up around her. It might have been a tiny bit too tight but she wasn’t messing with it any more. She wanted to get inside Ashlyn right that instant. The brunette got back on the bed and crawled over to her girlfriend who still had her fingers inside herself and was moaning quietly. Ali knelt between her legs and brought Ashlyn’s hand to her mouth, licking each of her fingers clean and moaning around the knuckles.

Ashlyn got on her hands and knees, as ready as she was for Ali and the dildo, she didn’t want to waste the chance to show her brunette how good it felt to have the strap-on sucked off.

“Babe...” Ali started, confused.

“Just give me one minute gorgeous” the keeper said hotly. “You look incredible like that and I just can’t resist.”

Ashlyn took the tip of the dildo in her mouth and swirled her tongue around it, loving the taste of Ali’s juices all over it. She hummed and closed her eyes for a second. But only for a second. She wanted to watch her girlfriend’s face when she felt the harness against her clit. 

Ali watched the sexy blonde lick the tip of the strap-on and wondered, again, what the point was. It was one thing if it was an actual dick with an actual person who could feel how good her tongue must have felt. But the brunette didn’t understand the appeal of sucking off a dildo.

Ashlyn locked eyes with the brunette and gave her a wicked smirk. She took the dildo in her mouth and pushed her tongue against the tip of it, driving it back against the harness and into Ali’s clit.

“Oh!” the brunette gasped when she felt the pressure on her sensitive bundle of nerves.

The keeper licked and sucked the strap-on, every touch bringing a jolt of pleasure directly to Ali’s clit and making her whimper and moan along with the blonde. Ashlyn took one long last lick and kissed the tip, pushing it against Ali a few times for good measure. She brought her hand between the brunette’s legs and ran her fingers through her soaking wet pussy.

“Unnhhh” Ali groaned. “Babe, it’s your turn” she choked out, almost grunting. “You’re killing me.”

Ashlyn straightened up on her knees and held Ali tightly as she brought their lips together in a passionate, breath-stealing kiss. At the same time she took her hand, covered in Ali’s passion, and rubbed it onto the dildo getting it ready to go.

“Holy fucking shit” Ali whispered as she tried to steady herself after the kiss and the quick handjob. She watched her girlfriend get back into position with her hips and ass up on the pillows and felt like she might faint. 

“Come fuck me baby. I’m ready for you” Ashlyn said in a husky voice and with a hazy look in her desire-filled eyes.

Ali willed her tingling legs to move forward and got into position between Ashlyn’s longer ones. They were bent up and spread out wide at the hips just as Ali’s had been when their roles were reversed. She started to feel that old familiar overwhelming sensation as she gazed down at the sexiest, hottest, most magnificent woman in the world. She chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds and tried to focus and hold her shit together. She was so excited that she really did feel dizzy. Her ears were ringing as all the blood rushed around at a million miles an hour.

“Al. Ali. Baby” Ashlyn said, louder each time, trying to get her girlfriend’s attention. 

Finally she wrapped her legs around the back of Ali’s thighs and pulled her forward a little bit, just to snap her out of her trance. The brunette blinked a few times and tilted her a little to one side.

“There you are gorgeous.” Ashlyn smiled up at her. “You ready? You don’t have to...”

“I love you Ashlyn. You’re so fucking sexy and I just lose it sometimes because...because...you’re just too perfect and I’m sorry babe” Ali stopped talking and leaned down and kissed her passionately as the dildo pressed against the blonde’s stomach between them.

Ashlyn gave a low throaty chuckle and smirked. “I know the feeling. Just relax and have fun. I guarantee you it’s going to feel good for me and I’m going to come and it’ll be great.” She kissed the brunette once more and pinched both of her nipples lightly to get her moving.

“Hey!” Ali yelped and chuckled as she got back to her knees.

Ashlyn guided the brunette’s hands to the very top of her thighs so she could hold on. And then the blonde kept her hands on top of Ali’s just to comfort her and be able to touch her. The brunette took one hand for a minute and spread the keeper’s pussy lips apart. Then she guided the tip of the dildo to her entrance and pushed it inside about an inch.

“Oh fuck yeah Al. That’s it” Ashlyn moaned and encouraged.

The brunette put her hand back where it had been on Ashlyn’s thigh up near her hip, loving that her girlfriend still wanted to keep her hand there too. Ali remembered when she was in Ashlyn’s position she had just wanted to feel the strap-on all the way inside her. She leaned forward and pushed the dildo all the way into the blonde’s center until she felt the harness up against Ashlyn’s ass. She moved in slowly but steadily and felt the pressure against her own clit again. She swallowed hard and tried to keep that under control. Ali was determined to give her girlfriend a great orgasm no matter what else was going on.

“Mmmmmmm...yesssss...” the keeper closed her eyes and groaned as she felt the strap-on filling her up.

The brunette started to move in and out a little bit, trying to get the feel of the harness. She started thrusting at a medium pace, not really sure if it was the right thing to do. She thought about teasing Ashlyn but decided against it because the blonde was already so worked up and had been waiting so patiently to get off. Ali misjudged the length of the dildo and pulled it all the way out a couple of times, having to stop and bring her hand down to re-insert it. There was definitely a learning curve to using the strap-on and she became even more impressed with the blonde’s skills now that she realized what it took. Ali knew there was no way she could go at the pace her girlfriend had used and certainly no way she could keep up that pace as long as Ashlyn had. ‘Challenge accepted’ she thought as she struggled to find a rhythm. She would just have to do lots and lots of practice. Ali smirked at the thought.

“Feels so good. Oh you fuck me so good babe” the keeper opened her eyes and grunted out once Ali finally did get a little bit of rhythm going. “I’m close baby.”

Ali tensed her muscles and gave it everything she had. Her thighs were burning and her abs were working overtime as she increased her speed as much as she could. She hoped that Ashlyn would take care of her own clit and come quickly before her muscles gave out on her and she had to abandon the strap-on altogether. She hated not being able to make her girlfriend come without the blonde’s help but she also knew that when it happened to her she honestly didn’t care. It just all felt good and if four hands could be bringing the pleasure then thank God for all four hands. She felt the blonde’s walls start to clench and press on the dildo, making it harder to thrust. She saw her keeper move her hand to her own clit and start to rub it fast while she played with her own nipples. Ashlyn arched her back slightly and forced her eyes open so she could look at Ali above her, pounding the dildo into her over and over.

“Yesss Ali...unnnhhh...oh fuck me...”

The brunette was sweating under all the effort and trying desperately to hold on and keep pumping until Ashlyn came. She had never worked so hard at sex before in her life. Just when she thought she would collapse, she saw Ashlyn’s eyes slam shut and her stomach muscles all clench as she pressed her head back into the bed with a string of guttural moans and groans interspersed with curses and exclamations. The blonde’s beautiful body stilled for about ten seconds and Ali kept driving, afraid of stopping too early. Then the orgasm ripped through Ashlyn’s body and shook it violently. Ali let go of the keeper’s legs but kept pumping, much more slowly, trying to help her come down from her high. Ashlyn kept twitching and shaking and moaning and finally rolled onto her right side and curled up almost into the fetal position as she panted and tried to catch her breath. 

Ali had to lean back to avoid getting kicked by the keeper’s leg when she rolled over, and pulled the dildo out with her as she sat back on the bed, spent. She loved her view. The brunette crawled over to the back of Ashlyn’s thighs and licked up all of the juices that were dripping down from her pussy. She was gentle with her sensitive keeper but she couldn’t resist the sweet taste of Ashlyn’s passion. The brunette took the harness off after she finished licking her girlfriend clean and sucked every bit of her from the dildo too. She moaned as she lay there next to Ashlyn’s ass enjoying her passion-covered treat.

Ashlyn’s curiosity finally got the better of her and she lifted her head to look back and see what her sexy girlfriend was up to. She chuckled when she saw her going to town with her mouth on the pink strap-on. The keeper put her head back down and reached out behind her and gently caressed Ali’s head. The brunette dropped the toy on the other side of her with a smirk and crawled up to spoon her love from behind.


	26. The Bubble

Friday and Saturday were exactly what they hoped for. The two of them, naked, having lots of sex whenever and wherever they wanted with intimate, romantic conversations in between. 

//

Ali finally admitted that she wasn’t a big fan of shower sex and Ashlyn, fearing the worst which, in her mind, would have been something like the brunette didn’t like the water in general, was relieved to know it was just because she was afraid her legs wouldn’t hold her up when she came. The keeper thought back over many of their sexcapades and could follow a through line of logic that backed up Ali’s fear. 

“Well your legs do have a mind of their own when you come, that’s for damned sure” Ashlyn chuckled as she fed the brunette another forkful of Gram’s mac and cheese. It was Friday just before lunchtime and they were in the front bedroom after having checked that bed off of Ashlyn’s list that morning. The keeper sat up against the headboard, her grandparents’ old headboard which had almost made the challenge an automatic fail. But she had rallied and reminded herself that she was repurposing and reclaiming everything in the house so she could make it her own and bring it with her into the future. It had taken a few minutes for Ashlyn to start to push her grandparents aside but Ali’s naked body, still a little wet from the shower, and her phenomenal mouth had helped her turn the corner. Ashlyn sat with the plastic container of leftover mac and cheese near her chest while the brunette lay in her favorite post-sex position with her head still between the keeper’s legs, resting on her left thigh, facing up towards Ashlyn. Ali lay on her right side and the blonde’s right leg was bent at the knee and tented over the brunette’s torso. Sometimes she lay her leg down on top of Ali’s hip, depending on how long they stayed in that position. The brunette had agreed to run down and get the leftovers as long as Ashlyn let her come right back and get into her spot again. Ali loved to lie there and run her left hand across the blonde’s neatly trimmed curls as they talked.

“What do you mean?” Ali asked, slightly indignant, as she chewed.

“I mean, you’ve almost kicked the crap out of me several times with your legs Al” she chuckled. “Sometimes when you come you kick like...like a footballer” she grinned down at her girlfriend.

“I do not” Ali huffed and smacked the keeper’s thigh and then leaned over to kiss it. “Do I?”

“You most definitely do.” Ashlyn laughed and grinned. “Thankfully it’s only one leg at a time so I haven’t been kicked yet. But you could probably kill somebody with those fucking fabulous legs Al” the keeper whistled softly and shook her head. “What a way to go though.”

The good news about the shower sex was that Ali loved getting Ashlyn off so that was a win-win for both women. They just agreed to move Ali’s turn to someplace she could lie down or sit.

“Who knew you were such a pillow princess?” Ashlyn teased. “Well, your nickname should have been a big hint I suppose” she giggled.

“I am not a pillow princess” Ali stated, outraged at the accusation. “I can’t believe you think that.” She was trying to laugh it off but she was really offended.

“I’m only kidding hon. Relax” the keeper tried to soothe her uppity girlfriend. “Here, have some more mac and cheese” she offered and fed Ali another mouthful.

Ali chewed for a few minutes and then swallowed and laughed out loud.

“You’re literally feeding me while I lie here in bed” she laughed again and rubbed her hand along the blonde’s bent leg. “Unbelievable” she said, shaking her head. “But you don’t really think I’m a pillow princess do you?”

It was Ashlyn’s turn to laugh out loud. “Fuck no baby. You’re anything but” she said seriously, realizing the brunette was actually worried about it. “I swear, I’m just teasing you. That’s why it’s funny, because you’re so not one.”

“I’ll get better with the strap-on. I know that wasn’t very good last night but...”

“Ali, listen, you’re proving my point” she fed herself a bite. “A pillow princess would never in a million years fuck anybody with a strap-on, except if her girlfriend or boyfriend wanted to ride her and she could just lie there and do nothing.” She reached down and caressed Ali’s face tenderly. “You worked hard to get me off with that thing and it was your very first time. You did great baby.”

“It’s harder than it looks, that’s for sure.”

“Absolutely true. And if you don’t like doing it you don’t ever have to do it again. Remember what I told you when we bought those toys.” Ashlyn looked at her seriously again.

“That we don’t need any of them to have great sex” Ali supplied the answer the blonde wanted to hear. “But I did like it. I just didn’t like...not being very good at it.”

Ashlyn gave her girlfriend a thoughtful little half-smile and stroked her cheek. “Honey, did you see the orgasm I had? It was awesome and it was because of you and how insanely hot you looked wearing that thing and how amazing you made me feel when you fucked me with it.” She held out another forkful and Ali took it. “There you go, princess.”

Ali pinched the inside of her thigh as she chewed the food.

“Ow!” the blonde cried and laughed out loud. “God I love you woman” she said, grinning at the brunette.

//

“What’s your favorite date that we’ve been on so far, and why?” Ali asked the keeper late Friday afternoon as they lay on the big couch in the front living room playing FIFA on the PS4. They had brought a sheet down and covered the leather couch with it so it would be more comfortable under their naked skin. They were stretched out, side by side, with their legs overlapped. The brunette turned her head, keeping her eyes on the tv screen and her defenders, and pressed a kiss into Ashlyn’s shoulder.

“Oooh that’s a great question” Ashlyn enthused as she maneuvered Alex Morgan towards the Australian goalie. 

The USWNT was in Rio for the Olympics and the couple was trying to recreate their first game against New Zealand. New Zealand wasn’t in the FIFA 2016 game so Ali had chosen to play as Australia because it was as close, geographically, as they could get to the Kiwis. Ashlyn had DVR’d the first game against New Zealand because they were otherwise occupied Wednesday evening. The USWNT had won 2-0. Game two of the group stage was the next afternoon, Saturday, and the opponent was France. Everyone was expecting a tough match and both Ali and Ashlyn were excited to watch the game live with the rest of the WOSO world.

“My favorite date, so far, was when we went for that hike at Walden Pond and then went up the road to the sculpture park and had the picnic. That was awesome, all of it. Except that it was too cold. That’s the only thing I would have changed about it” Ashlyn answered.

“Yeah, I love the deCordova. That was a great date. Except it was too cold, you’re right. May in New England, you just never know what you’re going to get for weather” Ali chuckled and then pumped her fist when Lydia Williams blocked Carli Lloyd’s shot and then covered up the rebound right in front of Alex Morgan. “Yes!”

It had been Ali’s idea to go for the hike and to the deCordova, which was an outdoor sculpture park and museum. And it had been Ashlyn’s idea to make it a picnic. They hiked historic Walden Pond, made famous by Henry David Thoreau, in the morning and then drove the 10 miles to the deCordova where they sat out on the grounds among the sculptures and had their picnic lunch. They ate delicious sandwiches that the keeper had prepared and then walked around the sculpture park and took a quick tour of the museum interior. They toured the inside mainly to get warm.

Ashlyn leaned over and kissed and sucked on her girlfriend’s neck as the game showed a replay of the attempted shot. Ali nuzzled into the contact and ran her hand across the keeper’s stomach. When the game went live again one of them hit pause, although they both had tried to, and they kissed for a few minutes, controllers still in their hands. 

“So what’s yours?” Ashlyn asked after they unpaused the game and started playing again.

“I loved dancing with you at the club after that barbecue dinner. That was a great night” Ali remembered the great sex they had had back at her house too. But I think my favorite is the most boring one and that’s why I love it so much.” 

“What do you mean?” Ashlyn asked, wondering which date had been so boring. 

“It was June and you were busting your butt on the office and Lilian’s story and we hadn’t really connected much...”

“Yeah June kicked my ass this year. Sorry about that honey” the keeper agreed and apologized as Tobin Heath nutmegged two Aussies on her way towards the end line.

“Well, our date wasn’t very inspired. We went and saw ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and then went to dinner afterwards and talked about it and a bunch of other things.”

“Oh yeah, ‘Besito’, that great Mexican place in the mall. That was so good” Ashlyn remembered.

“Exactly, that’s the night. I love it because that’s what a lot of our date nights are going to be like, eventually. We’re not always going to have a great idea or be up for a historic hike or whatever. But we can always go to dinner and a movie. It’s simple.”

“I’m with you but I don’t get why that makes you love that date” the keeper said, confused.

“I had a great time with you Ash, that’s the point. I love spending time with you no matter what we’re doing. And if dinner and a movie is the best we can do, for whatever reason, then I love that. After our talk when you came home from Orlando I really started to think back on June and what I could have done differently...”

Ashlyn paused the game and turned to look at her girlfriend, suddenly serious.

“Ali, you know that had nothing to do with you or anything you did or didn’t do. You know that.”

The brunette placed a sweet kiss on her keeper’s lips before she continued.

“I know babe, but my point is I went back and looked over everything in my mind and that night stood out to me because we really hadn’t tried too hard to come up with that one. And that’s ok! We had a lot going on.” She sighed, frustrated. “I’m not explaining this very well.”

The blonde leaned down and kissed the tops of her breasts mumbling against Ali’s soft skin, “You’re doing just fine. Keep going.”

The brunette swallowed, trying to focus on finishing her thoughts rather than what her keeper was doing to her chest.

“All I’m fucking trying to say is that someday, twenty years from now when we’re both burnt out from our days and weeks at work or whatever, we’ll go on a simple dinner and a movie date and I’ll love it because that’ll be enough for me as long as I’m with you.” 

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back as the blonde began licking her nipples and roaming down her strong legs with her big hands. An hour later they were in a heap on the floor, video game forgotten. Ashlyn leaned against the couch and pulled the brunette half into her lap, cradling her in her strong arms. She leaned down and gave Ali a slow, deep kiss full of meaning before speaking.

“That’s the most romantic thing anybody’s ever said to me. And it’ll be enough for me too. I love you so much Ali.”

//

Ali helped the keeper up off the desk in the new third floor office. They had brought the spare blanket up, folded it a few times and used it as s cushion for the top of the desk as they crossed another piece of furniture off of Ashlyn’s list.

“You know, technically, the lifting bench in the gym should be on the list too” Ashlyn said, still a little breathless after her orgasm.

“Now you’re just reaching” Ali frowned and shook her head as she pulled her girlfriend into a hug, patting her butt playfully.

“Maybe, we’ll table that one for later, get it?” the blonde joked and kissed Ali lightly on the lips as she picked up the blanket.

“Just stop. You’re too much” Ali grimaced and shook her head at the terrible joke.

“You should buy a desk chair. You’re always saying how uncomfortable yours is at your house. Now’s the perfect time to get a new one.” Ashlyn looked at the desk and smiled at what a good job Niki had done on it.

“Yeah it’s on my list to do next week” Ali smiled and put her arm around the keeper as they stood and admired the desk. “I still can’t believe you guys did all of this for me. And it’s your office too. I’ll even give you half the desk if you want.”

Ashlyn laughed and kissed the brunette’s temple. “You’re very sweet but there’s no way I’m messing with your office hon. I appreciate the offer, but no thank you.” 

“Niki was telling me that the desk actually comes apart so if I want to move it someplace else where one of the halves of it doesn’t fit...”

“Oh yeah, it’s so cool, watch” Ashlyn enthused as she dropped the blanket and moved to the interior corner of the desk. “Nik built it so all you do is lift this piece here and slide this support that locks it into place over and then you can separate them into two smaller desks. So we’ll be all set when we need desks for the kids’ rooms. And then she made it so you can flip the two parts too. Like if you wanted to put the long side against that wall over there instead. You do the same thing with the support bar but then you just attach it to the other side of the desk.”

She hadn’t even realized what she had said but Ali, of course, had heard it clear as a bell. The kids’ rooms. Ashlyn and one of her best friends had designed and built Ali a desk for her home office. That was amazing enough. But they had built it with their future children in mind. Ali was so moved by Ashlyn’s thoughtfulness and also the fact that she was planning their lives together that she started to cry softly. She didn’t make a sound and the tears weren’t too dramatic but her keeper saw them.

“Sweetheart, what’s the matter?” she wrapped the brunette into a warm, safe hug. “What did I say wrong now?” she asked and wracked her brain trying to think back over her words.

“Right” Ali said and sniffled. “It’s what you said right honey.” She pulled back and gave Ashlyn a slow kiss full of emotion and love.

“The kids’ rooms” the blonde repeated after the kiss. “It was the kids’ rooms thing. I didn’t mean to say it for pressure or anything...”

“I know Ash. You said it because you’re thinking about it and our future together and I love that” Ali kissed her again passionately. 

The blonde picked the blanket up and put it on top of the desk again so she could sit on it. She pulled Ali to stand in between her legs and hugged her and held her close.

“I think about it all the time” Ashlyn admitted quietly, her chin on Ali’s shoulder as she talked. “Sometimes I swear I can see their faces...our kids’ little faces.”

Ali turned her head and kissed her girlfriend’s neck, leaving her lips there for a few minutes as she listened.

“And sometimes I can’t wait to have this house full of our kids and our life. And, yesterday, when you were talking about our date nights in twenty years...that’s all I could think of. We’d be exhausted from whatever shitshow had happened with the kids that day and we’d even talk about cancelling our date night because we were so tired and frustrated. But we didn’t. We never cancel date night. One of us always makes us follow through because we know it’s important. And we go to dinner first because we can’t make the earlier movie and we don’t want to wait until 9pm to eat because we’re older and we can’t eat a big meal so close to our bedtime.” She giggled and nuzzled into Ali’s neck for a minute, enjoying the way the brunette was holding her tight. “And we have a blast, just the two of us, laughing and talking like we’ve done from the very beginning. And sometimes I want that so bad and I’m so impatient. But I don’t really want to rush it. Not really. As fast as I want to get to all of that with you I remember what your mom said when she visited this summer. Do you remember?”

Ali sniffed again and pulled back to look at her beautiful, romantic girlfriend as she answered.

“Yeah, she told us to cherish this time in our lives because it only happens once.” She wiped her tears off of her cheeks with her fingers. “I think about that too. I want to do things with you, just the two of us, before we have dogs and kids and too many reasons not to.”

“Things like what?” Ashlyn asked, moving her hands around the brunette’s back, rubbing the soft skin there. 

“Oh I don’t know. I want to drive down the coast of California in a convertible and stop at twenty-seven different places for every silly reason. I want to visit the Taj Mahal. I want to take a tour of the houses Frank Lloyd Wright designed and see his own house up in Wisconsin. I want you to teach me to surf. I want to look at great art with you and go to Germany for Oktoberfest again. And then...” she paused for a minute, trying to find the right words. “Then sometimes I don’t care at all about any of that. All I want is dinner and a movie with you once a month while somebody babysits our kids and dogs for us.”

They were both quiet for several minutes as their hands caressed and massaged bare skin. Ashlyn kissed the brunette after a few minutes and they smiled at each other, genuinely happy to just be standing so close together in that moment. Ali leaned their foreheads together and sighed contentedly.

“So, how many kids do you see in these visions of yours anyway?” she asked playfully.

Ashlyn grinned and her dimple appeared as she answered. “Four, two girls and two boys so that way everybody has a brother and a sister. I always wanted that.” She looked down bashfully.

“I always wished I had a sister too. Syd was pretty damned close, but not quite the same” Ali added. “So you’re good to get pregnant four times and pop out four babies? That’s impressive.”

“Well I thought we could share in those duties, you know, like you have three of them and I’d have one. Like that.”

“So now who’s the pillow princess?” Ali teased and tickled the blonde.

Ashlyn squealed and tried to defend herself with her hands and arms.

“But you didn’t say no so I’ll take that as your acceptance of the plan” the keeper giggled and gasped as she tried to talk while being tickled.

“Oh no way babe. That’s absolutely not how it’s going to go. Keep dreaming” Ali retorted with a smirk and more tickling.

Finally Ashlyn had had enough and she stood up and picked the brunette up and put her across her shoulder while Ali screamed and laughed and smacked her on her butt.

“Ashlyn” she whined and giggled. “Put me down.”

“You’d better grab that blanket, we’ll need to wash it” the keeper said, ignoring Ali’s pleas and walking around the desk to leave the room.

“Oh you’re such a brat!” Ali yelled playfully and snatched the blanket just before they moved out of reach.

“You said dogs with an ‘s’ as in more than one dog” the keeper began as she carried her girlfriend down the stairs to the second floor hall. “How many dogs can we have? And when can we start that part of our future?” 

“The longer I’m up here the lower the number goes Ashlyn” Ali tried intimidation to end her torture, chuckling despite herself.

“Four kids and two dogs. I think that’ll work out just great honey.” Ashlyn teased and squeezed Ali’s bare ass as they moved down the hall towards the master bedroom.

“Nooooooo” the brunette groaned when she saw the direction they were headed. It was almost lunch time, Saturday morning. “I’m starving. You have to feed me first. And maybe let me take a bath. I’m pretty sore babe, aren’t you?”

“I am my love, in the best possible way, of course” Ashlyn answered sweetly.

“But of course” Ali played along. “It goes without saying.”

“Which is why I’m going to run you a nice soothing bath and then go down and fix you some lunch my princess” Ashlyn explained as she kissed the side of Ali’s hip, gently tossed her on the bed and then went into the bathroom to fill the tub.

Ali pushed the blanket she had been carrying onto the floor, rolled onto her belly and watched her keeper’s gorgeous figure move into the bathroom. She heard the water in the tub start to run and thought about how lucky she was. Back in February she had been pretty sure that she and Ashlyn would still be together and happy in six months, but there was absolutely no way she could have predicted just how incredibly happy. Honestly, she didn’t realize their level of happy even existed in the real world.

“Do you want your usual?” Ashlyn asked, stepping back into the open door.

“Yes please” the brunette answered and got up, not able to resist the sweet, naked keeper another minute. “I love that you know how I like my baths” she said as she stepped into the bathroom and put her arms around Ashlyn’s waist from behind as the blonde bent over the tub with the bath salts.

“Well I love that you cook for me all the time and take such good care of me. Running you a bath and remembering to put your favorite stuff in it doesn’t really measure up but it’s my way of saying thank you.”

The keeper turned around in Ali’s arms and gave her a slow kiss. 

“Thank you babe” Ali said as their lips separated. She stepped into the tub with the water still filling it. “I’ll be here waiting for my lunch” she said pleasantly as she settled into the warm, fragrant water.

Ashlyn leaned down and kissed her again before heading for the back stairs.

Fifteen minutes later the blonde returned with two bottles of water and two paper plates with a sandwich, two pickles and potato chips on each.

“Get in with me” Ali suggested adorably, patting the top of the bathwater with her hand, splashing just a bit. She saw Ashlyn’s hesitation, knowing she didn’t want to interrupt the brunette’s bath, and moved to the faucet and drain end, offering Ashlyn the comfortable end. “Come on” she enticed as she reached beneath her and let some water out. “I just warmed it up a minute ago.”

“Did you pee in it? Is that what you’re trying to say?” Ashlyn pretended to ask seriously but giggled at the end of her question anyway. 

“Gross” Ali chuckled and took her plate from the blonde while she stepped into the tub and sat down. 

“Hey, I grew up taking baths with someone who did that just to torture me” the keeper replied as she stretched her legs out along the sides of the tub, nestling her feet against Ali. “Gross is right.”

Ali laughed out loud as she sat cross-legged between her keeper’s legs. “Oh God, Kyle used to do the same thing.” She shook her head as she took a bite of one of her pickles. “Boys are so gross.”

They ate quickly because they were both hungry and also because it was cramped in the tub, but they enjoyed being close to one another. Ali leaned over and kissed one of the blonde’s knees after every few bites and Ashlyn caressed the brunette’s ass with her feet.

“I can’t believe we have three full bathrooms in this house and I didn’t get a soaking tub big enough for two people.” Ashlyn said regretfully.

“Yeah, but you got the big shower with two heads instead. That was the choice in here, right?” Ali clarified as she finished her last bite of sandwich, followed it with her last bite of pickle and the last two chips on her plate.

“You’re right. And I’d still make that same decision, but sometimes” she wagged her eyebrows at the brunette, “I wish I’d gone for the big tub.”

“I would have picked the shower too Ash.” She kissed the blonde’s knee and put her empty plate on top of her own. “I’m getting out but you stay and relax. We still have time for the movie before the game. I’ll get it set up.”

Ashlyn leaned forward and gave her a slow lingering kiss.

“Well you’d better go then, I’m getting close to my limit again” Ashlyn said and pecked her once more on the lips.

“What do you mean?” Ali asked, confused.

“I can only be around your nakedness for so long before my head explodes” she explained simply as she leaned back against the tub.

Ali laughed as she stood and stepped onto the bathmat. She dried herself off quickly with a towel as her girlfriend kept talking.

“You laugh but I’m just telling you.” The blonde explained, shaking her head with a small grin. “It’s absolutely out of my control. There’s a finite limit to how many times I can see your gorgeous body before I have to have it. So, you know, you’ve been warned.” 

She slid down lower in the water and rested her head on the back of the tub as her girlfriend added more bath salts and turned the hot water on again. Ali leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.

“I have the same problem” she said, standing and moving towards the door with the lunch plates. “Why do you think I got out of the damned tub?” she smirked and closed the door behind her.

//

“What a game!” Ashlyn cheered after the USWNT beat France 1-0 later that afternoon.

“USA! USA! USA!” Ali chanted.

“I’m always surprised when France chokes, but it’s what they always seem to do against us so I should expect it by now.” The blonde shook her head, still smiling. 

“Yeah, well, one of these times we’re going to expect them to choke and they’ll kick our ass. Never underestimate anybody” Ali said more seriously than she meant to.

Ashlyn loved those moments when super competitive Captain Krieger slipped into the room. She would have given almost anything to have taken the pitch with that woman. She could almost picture Ali barking out those same words in the locker room after the game, warning her teammates against complacency. The keeper made it a point in her life to really try to forgive people, or at least, certainly, to not hate people. But she fucking hated the asshole that broke the brunette’s leg at Penn State. She hated him with her whole entire being and it never seemed to lessen. As much as she loved seeing those visions of Captain Krieger she regretted that they were almost always followed by the pure hatred that was coursing through her veins right that minute. 

Both women had gotten dressed after their baths, in shorts and different USWNT t-shirts. A sure sign that their bodies needed a break from sex. When Ashlyn came down the front stairs and turned into the front living room she found Ali dozing on the couch with the afternoon sun streaming in the side windows. They had a couple hours before the soccer game so she set an alarm on her phone, placed it on the coffee table and settled in next to her girlfriend for a nap. Even though they were taking a break from sex they still wanted to be as close as possible to each other. That hardly ever changed. Ali, still asleep, curled into the keeper and wrapped herself around her, snuggling into her neck, and humming a little bit. 

They decided to splurge and order a pizza to be delivered for dinner. They were celebrating their last night together for a week but they didn’t actually say the words. They had both been very careful not to utter any words that had to do with the next week or their separation or Hannah or even Meg. It wasn’t a strategy that they discussed or agreed upon. They both just were on the same wavelength about it. That happened a lot between them. For the past two and a half days they had been in their own little bubble and that’s exactly how they wanted it to stay. Ali made them salads to go with their pizza in an attempt to try and help her girlfriend avoid going completely off the nutrition rails in her first week of the Olympic break.

They snuggled back into the couch Saturday night to watch ‘Vertigo’, Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller about doppelgangers, obsession and dead ancestors. Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak were the stars and it took place in San Francisco, CA.

“Wow. Poor Scottie” Ashlyn bemoaned after the movie ended. 

“Can you imagine?” Ali asked as she disentangled herself from the blonde so she could sit up and put the empty popcorn bowl on the coffee table.

“I can’t. And I don’t want to.” 

The keeper stood up quietly and walked over to the PS4 to get the disc and put it away. Her face was downcast and she looked dejected. Ali noticed the change and felt sorry for her sensitive girlfriend. The movie had a sad ending and the main character, Scottie, really suffered throughout the whole story. ‘Vertigo’ wasn’t one of Ali’s favorites but it was a good movie and one of Hitchcock’s most well-known and popular films.

“I thought it was cool the way they brought in Carlotta and the whole history of the family and the hotel” the brunette said, trying to focus on a different part of the story. “And the ruby necklace as the family heirloom? I loved the way that was part of the plot.”

“Yeah, but it was just to trick him” the keeper countered as she sat back down on the couch heavily.

“But it was still the real history of the family. That’s what I liked. Obviously” Ali quipped and raised her arms up as she looked around the big old house they were sitting in.

Ashlyn was still quiet as she looked over the boxed set she had just put the disc into.

“It’s just a movie honey” the brunette said softly as she moved over to sit next to her glum girlfriend. “I’m sorry it made you sad.” Ali kissed her gently on the cheek and rubbed her arm before resting her head on the keeper’s strong shoulder.

“I can’t imagine losing you like that...I don’t know what I’d do” the blonde whispered, on the verge of tears.

“Oh sweetheart” Ali soothed. “I don’t even want to think about it.” She kissed her cheek again and left her lips against Ashlyn’s soft, warm skin for an extra few seconds. “Let’s not think about it, ok?”

“I’m sorry. Sometimes I just get sucked into it so much that it...it gets to me” the blonde tried to explain. “I know it’s just a movie and I’m being stupid.”

“Ashlyn” Ali moved her head back and turned the blonde’s face towards her so she could look her in the eyes. “You are not being stupid and you don’t have to be sorry.” She held the keeper’s face for a minute longer and watched the clouds that had gathered in her eyes. “Your heart is my favorite thing about you” Ali said, starting to get a little choked up. “And it’s so big and beautiful that it feels so many more things than the rest of our regular-sized hearts do.” She moved her hand to Ashlyn’s chest, above her heart, and kissed her with devotion. “Please don’t ever apologize for that my love.”

That was one of Ashlyn’s favorite things about her girlfriend. Not only could Ali recognize what was going on with her almost faster than she could figure it out herself, but she went a step further. The brunette made her feel better about it, made her feel ok about whatever strong emotion or confusing feeling or complicated reaction she had just experienced. Most of the people in Ashlyn’s life would have just laughed or teased her about being so sad about the end of the movie. Maybe only Whitney and Gram would have figured it out. But neither of them would have been able to just take all of that and hold it in their hands and then normalize it for the blonde. She had been teased her entire life for feeling things too deeply. Her parents thought she was just being a drama queen when she was a little girl. Gram was the one who first realized what was happening. But no-one had ever understood it like Ali. And if it was something even the brunette couldn’t grasp she would stay there in it with the keeper and ask questions and talk about it until she did understand. Ali wasn’t afraid of it. She didn’t try to fix it or change Ashlyn. She just loved her through it.

“Thank you Al” the blonde said softly and gave her a small tentative smile. “I love you more than I could ever possibly tell you.”


	27. Hannah Redux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas Eve everybody!

Sunday came no matter how hard they wished that it wouldn’t. They had both enjoyed their intense time together tremendously. It had reconnected and recharged them and they hadn’t even realized that they needed it in the first place. They agreed to try and make time like that for themselves going forward. Every six months they would make time to be in their bubble together. Ali felt so good that she was tempted to just stay and deal with Hannah. But she knew that was a bad idea and probably just some lingering hormones talking. She stuck to her plan. She had a lot to do at her house that week anyway.

Ashlyn was excited. As much as she had loved her time with Ali, and she had loved it beyond words, she couldn’t wait to see Meg and have her visit. She felt guilty and uncomfortable about it though.

“Ash, you’re allowed to be excited to see her. I’m excited for you to see her too” Ali called her on her weird guilt. “And next year when she comes up I’ll be here with you whether Hannah comes or not. I really want that for us.”

“Thanks baby. I’m really excited to see Meg.”

Ali grinned at her enthusiastic girlfriend as they got dressed.

“So will I see you tomorrow when I drive Whitney home?” the brunette asked.

“I think we’ll be down at the beach, but you never know. That’s what’s so nice about being able to walk to the beach – you can do whatever you want” Ashlyn answered as she looked at herself in the mirror. “Fucking hell Ali!” she yelled when she saw all the hickeys on her body.

Ali had been very careful not to leave any hickeys outside of t-shirt coverage areas, which she thought was pretty considerate really. But there were several deep dark bruises that would be plainly visible when the keeper wore just a bikini top, even a modest sporty one, which would be much of the week.

“Oh shit babe, I didn’t think about the beach” she replied truthfully. “I was careful, see nothing on your neck or your collarbone. And you know how I love your fucking neck...”

“It’s not funny Al. How am I supposed to go to the beach looking like this?”

Ashlyn was really mad and Ali felt great remorse that she hadn’t thought further into the week’s plans. But the blonde hadn’t told her to lay off the hickeys either. And, if Ali was really being honest, she was a tiny bit pleased about marking her girl before she spent a week with her ex-girlfriend.

“Honey, I’m not trying to be funny. I’m really sorry.” Ali walked over to her and looked at her handiwork as Ashlyn stared into the mirror. “You’ll just have to wear a t-shirt until they fade. You can say you’re getting over a bad sunburn or something, or just trying not to get one. And these ones down here” Ali offered, looking at the bruises on her girlfriend’s upper thighs, “won’t be seen if you wear your board shorts. You know, the longer ones that are actually board shorts.” Ali took another long look, honestly trying to be helpful. “That’ll work, right?”

“You’re lucky I’m so crazy about you woman” Ashlyn finally said, still looking a little mad. “But yeah, that’ll probably work.”

They had one last make-out session in the mudroom as Ashlyn walked Ali to her truck. And then the brunette was gone.

//

Ashlyn spent a half hour tidying the house and then left for the airport to pick up Hannah and Meg. The plan was to get them back to the big old house, eat lunch and then spend the afternoon at the beach. There were some nice waves at Good Harbor Beach and it was one of the best places to boogie board. The blonde hoped to teach Meg how during their week together. Niki and Molly and Noah were coming for the afternoon as well and they would all hang out at the beach and then eat dinner together. The keeper didn’t know it but Whitney had insisted that Niki be there on Sunday because she herself wouldn’t be back until Monday mid-day. The defender didn’t like Hannah being there and had sworn to herself that she was going to watch out for Ashlyn no matter what. She wasn’t thrilled to have Hannah staying there Sunday night without she or Ali or Niki there but she realized she couldn’t control everything. Whitney wasn’t sure what she was expecting to happen or not happen but she didn’t want to take any chances if she didn’t have to. She understood Ali not being able to be there. She truly did. And she was happy to step up. If she were in Ali’s shoes she would stay away too because she’d be afraid of telling Hannah exactly where she could go and just make everything worse.

But the day couldn’t have gone better. Hannah was charming and surprisingly kind and Meg was cute as ever. She was 4-1/2 years old and it had been a big year for her already. She was completely potty-trained, she slept in a big-girl bed and she had stopped taking naps, except for the occasional one if she hadn’t slept well the night before. The Crosses walked down to the beach just after 1pm and everybody got along really well. Niki still couldn’t believe the horror stories Whitney had told her about Hannah. And, with Hannah being on her very best behavior that Sunday, there wasn’t much evidence to support the facts. But Molly trusted Ali. She hadn’t gone into many details that day in May when Molly had driven the brunette home, but she had told Molly enough. She and Niki had almost had an argument over it a few days earlier when the new coach expressed her doubt about the whole story. Molly couldn’t believe that her wife still doubted Whitney and Ali, and even Ashlyn.

That night, after Ashlyn read to Meg and tucked her in to one of the big girl beds in the room that had always had her name, the keeper came down the front steps to find Hannah watching tv and typing in her phone. It was almost 8pm.

“She go down ok for you?” Hannah asked when Ashlyn entered the room.

“Yeah, we read two books and then lights out” the keeper answered with a grin. “Are you sure that nightlight is ok for her in there? I don’t want her to get scared or lost or anything.”

“She’ll be fine. She’ll sleep like a rock, she’s exhausted after all afternoon at the beach.” Hannah slid the remote across the coffee table so Ashlyn could reach it and turn the tv to whatever she wanted.

“I’m getting some water, want anything?” the blonde asked as she moved towards the mudroom.

“I’d love a glass of wine if you have some. No big deal if you don’t.”

“Yeah we’ve got some, do you want red or white?” Ashlyn asked, wishing she hadn’t said ‘we’.

“Red please, or whatever you’ve got open.”

As they sat in the living room watching Sunday Night Football and talking about Meg, Ashlyn remembered many of the reasons she had first fallen for Hannah. When she was good, she was very good. They sat on opposite ends of the couch only because the keeper felt it would be rude for her to sit in the recliner. The recliner, when angled to watch the tv, was sort of in front of the couch. So Hannah would have been behind her and it just felt inconsiderate. Ashlyn was just holding on for 10pm when she would excuse herself and go to bed.

“So you’re really happy Ash. I can see it all over you, and I don’t mean the hickeys” Hannah chuckled good-naturedly.

Ashlyn blushed and silently cursed Ali as she turned to look at Hannah. She wanted to make sure there was no way for her to misinterpret anything.

“I’ve never been happier actually” she said and smiled broadly. “Part of that is having Meg here. Thank you for bringing her up. It really means a lot to me.”

“I know it does. It means a lot to her too. I know she’s only 4-1/2 but she loves you. And I appreciate you being so good to her and keeping her in your life.” Hannah looked down for a second before continuing. “A lot of my friends think it’s silly and that Meg would have forgotten you in six months if I’d have just let her. But I knew you’d make her life better.”

“Some of my friends don’t all get it either. They think it’s ridiculous that I visit her in DC when I’m there and make special arrangements with the team and everything. But I love her. She stole a piece of my heart and she’ll always have it.” Ashlyn grinned when she said that and glanced at the game.

Thankfully, 10pm finally rolled around and the keeper said she was going to bed and Hannah said she was going too. The blonde made sure everything was closed up, turned off and locked for the night before heading upstairs. Hannah had chosen the guest room and was going to leave the door open in case Meg woke up and needed her in the middle of the night. If Meg had trouble sleeping then Hannah would take the other twin bed in Meg’s room.

Ashlyn got ready for bed in record time and called her girlfriend as she climbed under the covers. They spent the next hour talking about their days and finally hung up as they got too sleepy to continue.

//

Ali and Whitney drove up the highway from Boston to Gloucester late Monday morning. The defender had enjoyed her week in California with her family. She got to spend a lot of time with her brother, in addition to her parents, so she was very happy. 

“So it sounds like yesterday went well” Whitney offered optimistically. “Niki said Hannah was being super nice and Meg was crazy cute and Ash seemed ecstatic.”

“Yeah, I talked with her for a while last night and she said Hannah was being very nice and considerate. And that Meg was a perfect angel child.” Both women laughed at that. “Who knows? Miracles do happen” Ali joked.

“Exactly. I’ll believe it when I see it” Whitney replied. “I love Niki but she doesn’t see the real Hannah yet. Maybe she never will. But I’m not getting sucked in. If Hannah’s being nice then she’s after something and you know it.” 

“I can’t thank you enough for doing this Whit.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not doing this for you.”

Ashlyn’s guess had been right, they were down at the beach when Ali and Whitney got to the big old house. The keeper had left a note telling them where they were and that they’d be back up for lunch. Ali left the shopping bag full of her Disney and Pixar animated movies on the desk with a note to Meg asking her to take care of them for her for the week. She had meant to bring them Thursday but forgot them at her house. The brunette went up the back stairs and left an anniversary card for her girlfriend on her nightstand. She couldn’t help herself so she went and peeked in Meg’s room and the guest room. She wasn’t even sure why. She said goodbye to Whitney who was doing a load of laundry in the mudroom and then she left.

Ali went back to her house and parked herself in her office for the rest of the day. She had to catch up from Friday and also try and get a little bit ahead for next week when they were in Florida on vacation. And then her plan for every evening was to start sorting and organizing all of her stuff in her house. Sydney had come over Sunday afternoon to help and they had goofed off and gossiped and drank wine and talked about strap-ons without actually getting anything done.

It was almost 3pm when the doorbell at Ali’s house rang. Ashlyn had sent her flowers for their six month anniversary. It was a beautiful blue glass vase with six white roses and some baby’s breath and greens surrounding them. They smelled heavenly and were absolutely gorgeous. The card read:

‘For my sweet Ali  
Six white roses, one for each blissful month  
“Eternal love”  
Love, Ashlyn’ 

//

Monday night after Ashlyn came downstairs from putting Meg to bed she joined Hannah and Whitney in the living room. They were watching ‘The Voice’ blind auditions and looking at their phones.

“How’d it go?” Hannah asked, looking up.

“Good. She was excited about ‘Lady and the Tramp’ still” Ashlyn chuckled.

“That was so sweet of Ali to bring those movies over. And Meg loved the note too” Hannah said sincerely from the end of the couch.

Ashlyn took a seat on the other end of the couch. Whitney was in the recliner paying more attention to the tv than the conversation.

“Yeah, I knew she had a bunch but I didn’t realize it was that many” Ashlyn chuckled and smiled at the idea of her 32 year old girlfriend and her animated kids movie collection.

“You know, I don’t mind if Ali’s around. She doesn’t have to go hide out someplace else this week because of me.”

Hannah said it in an attempt to be nice, Ashlyn knew. But it still pissed the keeper off. The idea that Ali fucking Krieger was hiding because she was afraid of Hannah. The keeper felt her anger spike and tried to calm down so she didn’t say something stupid. It was only their second night. There were three more to go. Keep it together.

“Thanks. We’re going on vacation next week so she’s got lots of work to get done before we go. Chris and Beth’s Jack and Jill wedding shower is next week.”

“Oh, ok. I just didn’t want her to feel like she wasn’t welcome or anything.”

Again, Ashlyn knew that Hannah was actually trying to be considerate. When she calmed down the keeper was sure that she would really appreciate that fact. But who the fuck was Hannah to think that she was the one to say Ali was welcome in her own fucking house? 

“Yeah, I appreciate you saying that Hannah. I really do.” Ashlyn paused for a minute trying to get control of her emotions before saying anything else. “But it’s more that Ali didn’t want to be here because she really has a problem with you.” Ashlyn’s voice was quiet and steady, belying how angry she really was with her house guest.

“She has a problem with me?” Hannah asked, surprised. “She got the girl. She won. What more does she want from me?” 

Her words were quiet and almost thoughtful. It was obvious that Hannah had no idea what Ali was really about. Ali had never competed with Hannah. It wasn’t a jealous lovers problem. It was a terrible human being problem.

“She doesn’t want anything from you” Ashlyn paused and took a beat to collect her thoughts. She could feel Whitney willing her to shut up. “She wants to be able to be around you but she’s not ready yet.”

“What the hell does that even mean Ashlyn?” For the first time Hannah sounded defensive and a little angry.

The blonde blew out a big breath and sighed. “She heard you on the phone one time, when she was here with the contractor measuring the windows or something. And she didn’t like what she heard.”

“Well what did she hear?”

“I don’t know. She wouldn’t tell me. Apparently it was so bad that she never wants me to find out what you said.” Ashlyn looked at her ex-girlfriend with a mixture of sorrow and regret. “But that’s why she’s not around. She just doesn’t like you very much.”

Hannah sat back against the couch and was quiet for a few minutes. Ashlyn knew she was trying to remember what she could have said that Ali had overheard.

“It doesn’t really matter” the keeper said, giving Hannah a small but genuine smile. “She thinks the world of Meg and she thinks you’re a great mom and she loves that you brought her up to visit so I know it’ll all work out ok. We all want the same thing which is for Meg to be happy.”

They all sat there and watched tv for a little while longer before Hannah excused herself and went upstairs to bed.

Whitney waited ten long minutes before she spoke, just to make sure Hannah had gotten all the way to the guest room. “Are you out of your goddamned mind?” she whispered harshly at her best friend.

“I couldn’t help it” Ashlyn whispered back.

“So much for just keeping things on an even keel this week.” Whitney rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Do you think she’s going to flip out?”

“No I really don’t. She’s been great for two whole days. And, believe it or not, she was trying to be nice when she brought up Ali being welcome here. I know it’s hard to tell sometimes” she chuckled a bit. “Ali’s gonna kill me.”

“Yeah she is” Whitney giggled. “That was awesome though Ash!” she whispered excitedly. “I’m so glad I was here to witness it. You were really good. You were calm and respectful but still honest.” Whitney nodded her head at the keeper. “I’m really proud of you.”

“Yeah, well, let’s just hope she doesn’t pack Meg up tomorrow and leave. Man I hope I didn’t just fuck this all up.”

“If you want to be extra sure, you can always go up and tell her that Ali’s moving in next month. That’ll help” Whitney giggled again. 

“Ha ha, very funny” the blonde said and made a face at the defender. “I’m going to go call Ali. It’s our six month anniversary today. And I’m spending it with my ex-girlfriend.” She sighed as she stood up. “Poor Ali. I really don’t deserve her sometimes.”

“Yeah you do Ash. You totally do.” Whitney patted her leg affectionately as the keeper walked by on her way to the front stairs. 

Ashlyn got ready for bed and couldn’t wait to call the brunette. She walked to her bed and saw the envelope on her nightstand. She immediately got choked up because she thought Ali might have forgotten it was their actual anniversary or, worse, didn’t feel like celebrating it because of the weird circumstances surrounding the week. She got into bed, took the card out of the envelope and read it. It was a blank card with a photograph printed on it. It was a picture of a dark stream running over some big round stones with one red flower somehow growing out of somewhere beneath the water. Ali had written:

‘Against all odds we made our way to each other.  
Six months later I love you even more.  
I love you Ashlyn, with everything I am.  
Love, Ali’

And on the left side of the card she had copied the lines of a short poem:

‘appreciate the moment  
of a first kiss, it may  
be the last time you  
own your heart.’

r.m. drake

Under the poem she had written:  
‘It wasn't our first kiss, but you’ve had mine since our first 4th of July...’

//

Tuesday and Wednesday went by just as peacefully as Sunday and Monday had. Hannah never mentioned what Ashlyn had said the night before. She continued to be pleasant and accommodating and easy to be around. Whitney kept waiting for the other shoe to drop but it never did. They got up and watched one of Ali’s movies then played around the house or yard, then had an early lunch, and then went to the beach for the afternoon. That was their routine each day for the week.

Ali’s Tuesday and Wednesday were busy and productive too. She worked all day and then Sydney came over and they continued going through her things and putting them into appropriate piles. There was the ‘move’ pile which obviously meant everything that she wanted to move with her to Ashlyn’s. There was the ‘donate’ pile which was also obvious. There was the ‘keep’ pile and that was stuff she didn’t want to get rid of but wasn’t sure she wanted to move with her right away. It was basically the ‘maybe’ pile in between the ‘yes’ and the ‘no’ piles. The brunette was being cutthroat about the ‘if you haven’t touched it in a year’ rule and that was making things go quickly.

Tuesday they worked a little more slowly because they had to watch the USWNT play Colombia in the last game of the group stage of the Olympics. The team had to fly a long distance to get to the stadium which was in a remote area of the jungle. Literally, in the middle of the jungle. The team looked ok but not great and they came away with a 2-2 tie which gave them enough points to win the group and move on to the do-or-die Quarterfinals round. They would play Sweden on Friday afternoon at 12pm.

Dom came with Sydney Wednesday and the three of them had dinner together before getting to work. The Dwyers, Sydney had decided to take Dom’s name, came to officially tell Ali that they wanted to buy her house. All three of them were excited about the idea. There were no surprises. Ali wouldn’t have let there be any in the first place. She would have disclosed absolutely everything. Like the fact that the drain at the bottom of the below-grade driveway used to get clogged up with leaves and flood the below-grade garage which leaked into the basement. Ali had the drain dug out and deepened and re-screened so it filtered more leaves and debris out. And then she had also installed a triple-safe sump pump in the basement so if water ever did get in down there again it would just get pumped right out. But she hadn’t needed it yet. And the only other big issue was that because of the way the house was framed it was difficult to put in central air. It was a balloon framed house and that caused problems with the ductwork that was needed to channel the air throughout the house once it was cooled. That’s why Ali still used the air conditioners that she put in the windows in June and took back out again in September. Central air could be done but the cost was exorbitant. But Sydney already knew every single thing there was to know about the house to begin with. She had been with Ali when she looked at it the first time. She had been with Ali when she made the offer. And she had been with her for the home inspection. Sydney loved that house almost as if it were her own. They talked about logistics and timing and appliances and then, finally, about money. 

Ali’s realtor was a great guy. She had met him when she sold him windows for his house several years before the brunette actually started looking for her own house. He was not happy with the arrangement that she and Sydney had come up with but he couldn’t convince Ali otherwise so he stopped trying. They took what Ali had paid for the house almost five years ago and then what the house was worth currently. The plan was to split the difference between the two figures, 50-50. Ali would sell the house for more than she had paid for it, and that amount covered the improvements she had made to it, but just barely. And the Dwyers would get a house for less than market value. Sydney didn’t like it. She felt like she was ripping Ali off. But the brunette had explained that the money she was ‘losing’ on the sale was worth the benefits of not having to put it on the market, not having to show it, not having to deal with any of that stressful red tape. In the end they decided to go 75-25 instead of 50-50 with the Dwyers saving a little less money but Sydney felt better about the whole thing. She knew how hard Ali had worked on the house and how well she had kept it up and she didn’t want to take advantage of her kind friend. Everybody won in the end.

And having that all finalized made Ali’s decisions about packing and moving easier too. She was leaving all of the appliances, including the air conditioners. She was leaving the screen porch furniture and the guest bedroom bed and all of the fireplace accessories. She was leaving the lawn mower and the snow blower but taking the other smaller yard tools like the leaf blower and the hedge trimmer and things like that. The snow blower had been purchased specifically for her driveway anyway. Because the garage was below-grade the driveway sloped down to it and there was a concrete retaining wall on either side. Shoveling the snow out of the bottom of the driveway was a brutal chore. The driveway itself was small and Ali would have happily shoveled it and her front walk and been done in an hour. But it was literally like shoveling from the bottom of a pit. You had to throw the snow up over the top of the retaining wall or walk it all the way up to the top of the driveway to empty your shovel. Ali’s dad had been the one to help her find a snow blower that was powerful enough to throw the snow up over the wall. The machine was no joke and it took Ali a couple of big storms before she finally embraced it and learned to use it. Dom would need that snow blower for sure, and a lesson from the brunette on how to use it. He knew it and he appreciated Ali’s generosity. 

When Sydney had bought her condo it had come with appliances so she had to leave them behind. She didn’t have her own washer and drier or fireplace tools and they only had one bedroom so they would need a bed for the guest room at some point too. And Ali would either be selling those things or donating them. There wasn’t room for them at Ashlyn’s. She would move her bed and living room furniture someplace in the big old house, maybe just into the garage or someplace temporary. They would need Ali’s bed once Whitney moved hers out, whenever that would be. And Ali was putting her dining room table and chairs into Ashlyn’s dining room. Having that room empty had bugged Ali all year long. She understood what Ashlyn was doing, waiting to find the perfect table set for the room, but it just irked the brunette to have the room empty.

If everything went according to plan Ali would move all of her stuff out, as best she could, the last week of August and first week of September. Most of the moving would have to take place on the weekends. They would have the home inspector come back and make sure everything looked good. Then Dom and Sydney would move in whenever they wanted in September. The official closing would probably be at the end of October. They could sell the condo, safely, for November 1st move-in. Sydney was already happily searching for the dog she had wanted for so long, knowing she would be living in a house with a nice fenced-in backyard. 

//

It was late Thursday morning when Ali left Mattie Olsen’s office and headed up to Gloucester. The therapist had given her a lot to think about but had also given her a lot to be proud of. Mattie couldn’t believe all of the events that had to happen at just the right time in Ali’s life to create the perfect storm situation around her relationship with Emily. Ali knew her story would take a long time to talk about so she had booked a two-hour appointment. She wanted to get to the point where she was moving forward towards conquering whatever the fuck the fear was about moving in with Ashlyn. She wanted it resolved and dealt with pronto. Ali also knew it didn’t usually work like that and that she had to be prepared to be patient with herself if the solution didn’t appear right away. But she wanted to get started on it at least. She felt incapacitated by it. And she had just made all the arrangements with Sydney and Dom the night before so there was no going back. She was selling her house. Her safe room was going away and not coming back.

Ashlyn had talked with Ali every night during the week. She had told her about the conversation with Hannah Monday night and endured the brunette’s disappointment. But then she had told her how great Hannah had been since then and Ali had praised her and told her maybe it had been the right thing to do. The keeper had been enthusiastic about all of the arrangements with the Dwyers. Ali had talked everything over with the blonde the week before, after she and Sydney had first discussed the possibility. Each night Ashlyn had asked Ali to come up and go to the beach with them Thursday afternoon and stay for dinner and stay over. Wednesday night, after all the jubilation about Ali’s house, the brunette finally said yes to coming up Thursday. Niki and Molly and Noah were coming up too and Ashlyn was convinced it was the baby that was the deciding factor for her beautiful brunette. Sydney was going to join them later in the afternoon as well. Ali felt bad monopolizing her whole week but Sydney told her honestly that she had to get her eyes on that Hannah bitch once and for all.

The keeper had made sure Hannah was ok with Ali’s visit, more as a heads up courtesy than as an actual getting clearance type of thing. Hannah said it would be nice to see her again. Both Whitney and Ashlyn were skeptical but it was their last night, Hannah and Meg were flying out at 11am Friday morning, so even if it was a disaster it wouldn’t last long. 

But it wasn’t a disaster. Ali got to the house just before lunchtime and stood outside the big red side entrance door unsure what to do. She rolled her eyes and knocked twice as she opened the door and called out hello. She put her beach bag down and took her shoes off and by the time she stood up Ashlyn had her in her arms. They had both been so strong for four days and now that they were together again it seemed like an impossible achievement.

“God I missed you” Ashlyn mumbled into her ear as she hugged her tight.

“Me too babe. I love you.” 

Ali changed into her bathing suit with shorts and a tank top over it and then ate lunch with Ashlyn, Whitney, Hannah and Meg. Meg didn’t really remember Ali but it had been a full year since she had seen her last so no-one was surprised. The little girl recognized her from some of the pictures on the refrigerator. Hannah had shown Meg a picture of Ali on Monday when she was trying to explain who had left her the movies and the note. 

“So have you been taking good care of them for me this week?” Ali asked Meg about the movies as they all sat together in the nook. Ali had slid into the end seat of the banquette, trying to stay out of everyone’s way, and was surprised when Meg crawled right in next to her. Apparently she was eager to check out the newcomer with the awesome movie collection. Hannah sat next to her on the other end of the banquette with Whitney and Ashlyn taking two of the chairs.

“Yup” Meg answered, nodding her head and smiling shyly.

“That’s good to hear. Thank you very much for doing that” Ali replied with a wink as they all started to eat.

By the time lunch was over Meg was dying to get to the beach for her last beach day. The waves were supposed to be good and she was eager to try the boogie board again. They had successfully boarded on Tuesday but the waves were bad Wednesday so she was ready for round two. The Crosses knocked on the door just as the group was about to leave. Molly used the bathroom quickly while everybody else started to walk down to the beach. Ali hung back and waited for the new mom.

“I’m so glad you’re here” Molly squealed quietly when she came out of the bathroom and found Ali waiting for her. 

They talked as they walked and Ali filled her in on the little that Ashlyn had told her about the week. 

“Here’s hoping she behaves today too. So far she’s been great but it’s only been an hour” Ali giggled.

“Can I tell you how adorable your girl is with little Meg?” Molly asked excitedly. “I mean, who knew big bad Ashlyn Harris was such a cutie-pie with kids?”

“I know. It melts my heart. So damned cute.”

“I thought she was sweet with Noah, but watching her with a toddler is just too much. How do you stand it?” Molly laughed as they walked down the street towards the beach.

Ali sighed and smiled before answering. “I honestly don’t know Molly. Every time I feel like I can’t possibly love her any more than I already do, she says or does something else and I’m at a whole other level again.” She paused as they approached the footbridge, searching for their group on the beach. “It’s like a fairy tale or something but, somehow, it’s my real life.”


	28. Let's Go to the Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope everybody's having a wonderful Christmas!

They joined the rest of the group who had set up chairs in the hot, deep sand. Ali dropped her bag near the empty chair next to Whitney who was already in her bikini working on her tan. Niki was sitting on a towel on the sand slathering Noah with sunscreen. Molly put her stuff on the empty chair behind her wife and took off her t-shirt and shorts so Niki could put sunscreen on her as well. Hannah, in a bikini top and short shorts, sat doing the same with Meg. And Ashlyn was walking towards them from farther up the beach. She had just finished with the equipment guys and carried two rented boogie boards to go with the one she owned. Ali stepped out of her flip-flops, pulled her shorts off and smiled as she watched her girlfriend move through the sand. She was glad Ashlyn didn’t need to cover up anymore. The bruises left from the hickeys were mostly on her breasts, where the skin was more delicate, and they were covered by her bikini top. Her stomach looked normal except for one small area that was still in the final yellowish stages of healing. They looked at each other through their sunglasses and grinned. The brunette pulled her tank over her head revealing Ashlyn’s favorite red string bikini and smirked at her girlfriend. The keeper chuckled to herself and nodded at her beautiful girlfriend because her arms were both full and she couldn’t do anything else. 

Just then Meg bolted for the ocean while Hannah looked down for a second to grab the floaties to put on her little arms. Ashlyn saw her but was too far away to get there. Meg’s little legs were moving so fast and she was covering a lot of ground quickly.

“Meg! Wait!” the blonde shouted desperately.

Everyone turned to see Meg ten feet from the water with some pretty big waves coming in. Big for a 4-1/2 year old anyway. Nobody else was on their feet but Ali and she took off after the toddler, calling her name again.

“Hey Meg! Wait for me!”

But Meg either didn’t hear her or didn’t feel like obeying and kept running for the waves. Ali felt her legs burning as she sprinted through the sand. She got to the little girl just as Meg splashed into the water and giggled gleefully when she felt the cold water hit her thighs and knock her back a little bit. Ali lifted her up under her arms and swung her high saying “Wheeeee” so she didn’t terrify the poor little girl. A strong wave that would have easily knocked Meg over, covered her and then dragged her back out a few feet, hit Ali’s knees. Meg giggled and clapped her hands.

“Again!”

Ali turned around quickly so everybody could see Meg was ok and not panic. Hannah was moving quickly down towards them with the floaties and a terrified look on her face. Ali carried the little girl a few steps out of the water and then put her down in the shifting wet sand. Ashlyn had dropped the boards and run down too, arriving just as Hannah did. They were both upset and distraught. 

“Meggie don’t you ever do that again” Hannah said seriously as she crouched down in front of her daughter. “You know you have to wait for a grown up to go near the water. You know the rules.” Hannah hugged her and put the floaties on her as Ashlyn knelt down and took her sunglasses off.

“Meg that was not ok” she said in a stern voice Ali had never heard before. “You could have gotten hurt. Remember we’ve talked about this every day on the walk down here. The ocean is very strong and we always have to be very careful around it. Do you remember?”

Meg had moved closer to Ashlyn and was standing on the keeper’s knees that were sunk into the wet sand, holding on to her shoulders.

“Yup. I forgot. I couldn’t wait” she answered with a sad face at first and then a sheepish apologetic smile and ended with a megawatt grin.

“What do you think Hannah? Should she be allowed to play in the ocean with all of us or should she have to stay by the chairs?” Ashlyn asked, her voice still very serious.

“Well, only people who follow the rules get to play in the ocean so I think she’ll have to stay by the chairs...” Hannah answered, just as seriously, before being interrupted

“Noooooooooo. I’ll follow the rules. I promise!”

“What’s the first rule then?” Ashlyn asked patiently as Niki and Molly brought Noah down to the edge of the water right next to them. Ali hadn’t moved a muscle. She was standing right in the middle of the parenting exhibition and didn’t want to distract Meg by moving.

“Umm, wait for a grown-up.”

“Good girl” Hannah said.

“That’s right smartie” Ashlyn praised her too. “What’s the second rule?”

“Umm, always stay with your grown-up.”

“Even...” Ashlyn prompted.

“Even in the water” she finished, proudly.

“That’s my girl” Hannah kissed her on the top of her head. “See, you do know the rules. Now you have to follow them. Do you understand?”

“Yes mama.”

“Alright. Then you can play in the ocean with Ashlyn but you remember the rules or you have to come out and stay by the chairs. Got it?”

“Yes mama.”

“And what’s the punishment for breaking the rules already?” Ashlyn asked, looking at Hannah. “No boogie board today?” The keeper winked at Hannah, letting her be the good cop.

“Noooooooooooo” Meg begged and flung her arms around her mother’s knees. “Please mama, I’ll be good.”

“Alright, you can boogie board but no dessert tonight after dinner.”

“Fine” Meg said it plainly, knowing she had no way to win. She turned away from her mother and went back the three steps to Ashlyn’s knees. “Can we boogie board now Ashyun?”

“Yes we can. But first you need to thank Ali for saving you from that big wave that would have knocked you down and made you cry.” 

Meg turned around behind her, surprised to see Ali still standing there in the ankle-deep water. “Thank you Ali. It was fun” she said and hugged the brunette around the knees too.

All three women tried not to laugh at how cute Meg was being, clearly not understanding what the wave would have done to her. All she knew was that Ali had given her a fun ride up high.

“You’re welcome Meg.” Ali bent over and patted her on her polka-dotted back.

“Good. Now we have to walk all the way back up there to get the boards. Let’s go.” Ashlyn carried the little girl up to where she dropped the boards.

“Thank you Ali” Hannah said, with a hitch in her voice once her daughter was far enough away. 

Ali met her eyes and saw true gratitude and what she thought might be remorse in them. Maybe there was hope for her yet.

“You’re welcome” Ali said and smiled a little bit. “That was pretty impressive parenting too. All while you were probably having a heart attack.”

Hannah laughed nervously and wiped a tear from her eye. “You know it. Well I’d better get back up to my chair before she asks me to help her with her board.” She hesitated, realizing how awful that sounded. “I want to give them their time together, that’s all.” She turned and walked quickly back through the sand. 

Ali turned and walked a few steps into the ocean and then dove under. She swam out about 15 feet and turned back to the beach. Molly and Niki were both sitting in the water with Noah between them happily slapping and splashing the water. He squealed excitedly when a wave came that was strong enough for him to really feel. Ashlyn and Meg were walking down the sand and it must have been hot because Ashlyn stopped and put the toddler on her back. Meg grabbed her neck tightly as the keeper bent down and picked up the two boards and kept walking towards the water. Whitney and Hannah were up sitting in the chairs talking. It was a gorgeous hot sunny day and there wasn’t any place Ali would rather be. 

She swam back to the shore, planning to help her girlfriend with the little one strangling her but they had made good progress and were already at the edge of the water next to Niki. Ali smiled and started to walk out of the water towards them. Ashlyn and Niki watched her for a few steps and Ali saw Niki nudge her friend’s leg and smirk up at her. Ashlyn playfully turned Niki’s head back towards her adorable family. Ali knew she looked good and for the first time in a long time she felt powerful because of it. In six months Ashlyn had given her back something she thought she would never be able to recover and she would be forever grateful. The powerful feeling lasted for a minute and then she felt silly for wearing a sexy red bikini to the beach with a 4-1/2 year old and a baby. Way to go Krieger.

“Can I get a lesson too?” Ali asked as she walked up to the blonde and the toddler at the edge of the water.

“What do you think Meg? Should we teach her how to board with us?”

Meg considered Ashlyn’s question and looked at Ali who was smiling down at her. “Yup” she answered, nodding her head.

“My board is up by the chairs if you want it” Ashlyn offered. “Will you put my sunglasses in your bag?”

Ali was back in a few minutes wearing a sleeveless t-shirt and carrying the board. Ashlyn smirked at her and shook her head, laughing softly at the t-shirt. They spent the next couple of hours riding the waves near the shore and picking Meg up out of the surf after each wipe out. The toddler was a really good sport about it though. She would stagger to her feet, coughing water out of her little lungs and wiping her hair out of her face only to grin and pick up her little board again. Ali had never seen anything quite like the look on Ashlyn’s face as the keeper watched Meg trying to learn to do something she loved so much. The brunette was so glad she had decided to come to the beach. Seeing that look was worth whatever bullshit Hannah had in store for her.

Niki and Whitney eventually joined the boarders and Ali moved over to splash with Noah and Molly before it was time for the baby to nap. Ali carried him up to the chairs as Molly gathered up the toys he had been playing with. Really it had been the two women who had been digging and playing in the sand to entertain the almost nine month old baby. Hannah put her book down when they got to the big beach blanket Molly had brought and reached over to hold down the corner of it that kept flapping up as Ali tried to lay the baby down. Ali dried him off, took off his swimming outfit, changed his diaper and put a dry onesie on him for his nap while Molly got his bottle ready.

“Can I?” the brunette asked hopefully.

“Of course you can silly” Molly laughed easily. “Trust me, it’s awesome and everything but I’m happy to not do it every single time.”

Ali sat in Whitney’s chair because it was the most upright one, put the burp cloth over her shoulder and cradled the hungry boy in her arms as she fed him the bottle. Molly busied herself cleaning up the diaper mess and hanging his little swimming outfit on the back of her own chair to dry. Hannah watched little Noah eagerly drinking.

“Is it ok if I nap him here?” Molly asked, looking at Hannah. “I can bring him back to the house or move further up the beach...”

“Here is perfectly fine with me” Hannah answered. “But you’d better go tell that bunch not to come up here yelling and wake him up” she chuckled.

They all looked down at the water and saw someone they loved with all their hearts. The boarding had turned into some sort of game of chase with wet sandballs being thrown around. All four of them were laughing and squealing with delight. Whitney and Niki were pelting Ashlyn but letting Meg get all sorts of hits on them as they flailed around in about a foot of water.

“You all have a pretty great group up here. It’s nice to see” Hannah said sincerely as she watched the fun down at the water’s edge.

Thirty minutes later Sydney joined the women in the chairs. She silently hugged Ali, who had taken her shirt off to dry it out, and waved hello to Molly and Hannah. She peeked into the little sun tent between Hannah and Molly to look at Noah, already fast asleep. Sydney took the chair next to Ali so the four women were basically sitting in a square. Sydney faced Hannah and Ali faced Molly with the ocean between Sydney and Molly.

“You can talk Syd, you just can’t scream and be your usual loudmouth self” Ali teased her best friend as she took off her t-shirt and shorts to try and soak up the late afternoon sun. It was already 4:30pm and they would have to go back to the house for dinner in about an hour.

“Nice. Very nice. Fuck you too boo-boo” the coach replied, pushing Ali’s chair over backwards and sending the brunette with it in a fit of giggles and quiet laughter. Hannah looked horrified but Molly just laughed along with the two friends as Sydney helped Ali up.

“Jerk” Ali giggled again as she poked the coach in the ribs and righted her chair.

“Why was your chair so upright anyway? It was begging to be tipped over. Have you forgotten how to take the sun Krieger?” Sydney teased quietly.

“Shut up. I was feeding Noah” the brunette explained as she sat back down in the chair and leaned over into the cooler. “Do you want a beer?”

“Yes please” Sydney said as she sat down and looked at Hannah again. “I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Sydney.” She leaned forward and extended her hand towards Hannah.

“Hi. Hannah. It’s nice to meet you” she replied as she shook the coach’s hand.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry guys” Ali added, handing Sydney her beer.

“Oh, here she goes. I was hoping she’d go out. This’ll be fun” Molly said excitedly as she watched Ashlyn paddling out to the bigger swells.

They all turned their attention to the ocean. Niki helped Meg get up on Whitney’s shoulders so she could get a good view. Ali found herself walking down to join them at the water’s edge, eyes on the blonde in the sea, with Sydney at her side.

“Who the fuck did you wear that for?” Sydney asked quietly and quirked an eyebrow as they walked.

“Yeah, not my finest moment I realized between playing with the toddler and the infant.”

“Well you look good Alibaba. Smokin’ hot” Sydney said truthfully and hip checked her with a big grin on her face.

They stopped halfway down to the water, the brunette not wanting to disrupt Whitney’s cute bonding with Meg. The crowd had thinned out as people got ready to head home for dinner after their day at the beach. There would be another crowd that would come around 6pm, Ali knew from experience, eager to cool off at the shore after a long hot day of work. Of course the keeper had waited for that lull period between the two crowds so there was more room to move through the water. Ashlyn waited a few moments for the wave she wanted and then turned and paddled furiously to get ahead of it and catch it, her stomach flat on the short boogie board. She rode it in for a few feet and then did a cut back and moved along it sideways. She rode it towards the beach again and about half way in she executed a perfect bottom turn and kept going into a full 360. Ali could hear Meg squealing in delight as she clapped her hands above Whitney’s head.

“Damn” Sydney said, shaking her head as she watched Ashlyn moving through the water so gracefully. “How does she make that look so fucking sexy?”

Ali laughed, not taking her eyes off of her girlfriend, and said “She makes everything look sexy.” 

They all watched the blonde ride several more waves. Ali was sure she was tired after playing non-stop with Meg for four hours already, but every time she came back in Meg begged her to do it again. Ali realized in that instant that she was going to have her hands full once they did have kids of their own. Ashlyn wouldn’t be able to deny them anything and the brunette would be forced to be the bad cop in almost every situation. She smiled anyway.

Hannah finally came down to the water to let Ashlyn off the hook and tell Meg it was time to go. She was prepared to be the heavy and Ali appreciated the gesture as she watched from her spot with Sydney. The brunette decided to help too. She walked to the water as well, getting there just after Hannah had. Sydney followed a few steps behind. 

“But I don’t wanna go yet Mama. Pleeeaaaase let us stay longer" Meg whined and begged as Hannah tried to be strong.

“Hey, why don’t we all go for one more big swim before we go up to the house and eat dinner?” Ali suggested enthusiastically as she approached the unhappy toddler.

“That’s a great idea!” Whitney agreed, patting Meg’s knees still next to her face.

“Last one in’s a rotten egg!” Niki yelled as she winked at Ali.

“Well it’s not gonna be me!” Ali yelled back and raced Niki into the water until they were about waist deep.

“Come on Hannah!” Niki called out. “You can’t be the last one in!”

“What do you think Meggie?” Hannah asked her daughter who was giggling at Ali and Niki having a splash fight and screaming.

“Come on Syd, you’re gonna be last you big stinky rotten egg!” Ali teased.

“Swim Mama!” Meg shouted and pointed to the ocean with one hand while she leaned forward and tried to steer Whitney with her other little hand in the defender’s hair.

Whitney started to walk into the water slowly and Sydney started to move closer to them making a big drama out of trying to catch up and not be the last one. Hannah walked in up to her thighs and then dove under, going around behind Niki and Ali. She popped up on the other side of the splash fight and waved to her daughter.

“Yay Mama! You made it!” Meg exclaimed clapping her hands.

“Here I come!” Sydney gasped from behind them.

“C’mon, let’s go” Meg looked behind her at the newcomer she didn’t know and urged Whitney, bouncing up and down on her shoulders.

“Almost there...” Sydney groaned out.

“Faster!” Meg laughed out.

“Did you say faster? I didn’t know we were supposed to go fast?” Whitney played along. “Hold on tight!”

The defender ran as far and as fast as she could with her hands up on Meg’s sides. Everybody else was urging them on as they splashed into the ocean, both screaming playfully. Sydney was running behind them pretending to try to catch up. Ali and Niki kept splashing and Hannah came in a little closer to lift Meg off of Whitney’s poor, tired shoulders. Whitney dunked under the water and came up again grinning just as Sydney finally made it out to the group. Ali and Niki focused the splashes directly at her and she threw her head back and cackled at the silliness of the whole thing.

Ashlyn watched as she slowly paddled back in. She had been prepared to ride another wave but she was thankful she didn’t have to. She was exhausted. The keeper was filled with emotion as she observed her friends going out of their way to be sweet to Meg. A couple of happy tears slid down her face and she splashed herself to wipe them away. 

They all piled into the nook in the family room to eat their ‘last night of vacation at the beach’ celebratory dinner. Whitney and Molly had gone to pick it up while everybody else got changed and showered to wash the salt and sand from their bodies. It was almost 7pm by the time they actually sat down to eat and everybody was hungry. Ashlyn, Hannah and Whitney had decided on what to order that morning, knowing it would be better not to waste time doing it after the beach. It was the smartest thing they’d done all week. 

Ali and Sydney sat at the banquette end of the nook and Meg slid into the corner of the banquette next to the coach. Hannah made sure that Ashlyn sat next to the toddler, even though the blonde tried to stay on the outside of the nook so she could get up to get whatever anybody needed.

“Just sit and relax. There are enough of us, we can get whatever we need” she had said when the keeper resisted. Ali and Whitney exchanged a subtle look.

Molly sat next to Ashlyn, and Niki, Whitney, and Hannah took the three outside chairs. They feasted on lobster rolls and fried clam plates and steamers and calamari and mussels and fried shrimp and scallops and fish and chips. Ali had sliced up some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers in case anybody wanted something remotely healthy as a side. And, not to be outdone by the seafood, there were french fries and mozzarella sticks to go with the chicken nuggets they had ordered for Meg.

Niki and Molly and Noah left after dinner. Ashlyn took Meg upstairs to get ready for bed. She had already given her a bath after the beach so all that was left was brushing her teeth and putting her into pajamas. It was already after 8pm which was Meg’s bedtime but they had agreed that she could stay up until 9:00pm because it was such a special night. The little girl wanted to watch one more movie before she had to give them back to Ali the next day. Ashlyn and Hannah both knew that she would fall asleep within 15 minutes of starting the movie and then the keeper would just carry her upstairs and put her in bed. Meg ran into the living room from the front stairs and launched herself onto the couch. Ali and Hannah were cleaning up the kitchen while Whitney was in the shower. Sydney sat on the end of the couch closest to the mudroom, the shorter of the two sections of the ‘L’ shaped couch. The bag with the movies in it was on the coffee table and the toddler reached for it.

“Did Ali leave these for you this week Meg?” Sydney asked her as she moved the paper bag onto the floor between Meg and the coffee table.

“Yup. She said I had to take care of them for her” Meg replied as she started pulling the movies out of the bag and putting them on the couch all around her.

“Wow. That’s amazing” Sydney said, making a big face. “She doesn’t trust just anyone with her movies you know.”

“She doesn’t?”

“Nope” Sydney shook her head from side to side slowly. “You have to be pretty special to be in charge of them. It’s a big deal.” The coach helped the little girl take the last few movies out of the bag and then leaned back against the couch.

“Ok, let’s get the movie started. We’re wasting precious time Megaroo” Ashlyn said as she walked to the little girl and smiled down at her.

Meg looked up at her and blinked a few times. The keeper realized that she was having trouble deciding which one to watch and was about to get upset. She successfully navigated her way through a series of questions that eliminated most of the movies and left them with four choices. Ali and Hannah walked into the room and sat down on the couch. Hannah took the end by the recliner and Ali sat between Sydney and Meg.

“Oooh which one are we going to watch? I’m so excited” Ali enthused as she looked at the final four.

The brunette looked up at Ashlyn who just grimaced. She remembered the blonde telling her over the phone how much Meg loved ‘Lady and the Tramp’ and it was one of the four choices. She had asked to watch it almost every day.

“You know what?” Ali began, looking at Meg’s concerned face. “I almost forgot. But if you do a really good job of taking care of the movies then you get to take one home with you.”

Meg’s face lit up and she clutched ‘Lady and the Tramp’ to her little body.

“There’s a shock” Ashlyn quipped as she looked at Hannah and grinned. “What do you say to Ali?”

Meg sprang onto Ali’s lap and hugged her around her neck. “Thank you Ali.”

Ashlyn felt a pang in her heart as she watched the sweet interaction. Ali hugged the little girl back.

“You’re very welcome sweetie. You did a very good job taking care of them for me.”

Meg brought the movie over to her mom with an excited look on her face.

“Mama, look!” she said thrusting the movie into Hannah’s face.

“I see. That’s wonderful honey” Hannah agreed. “Do you want me to hold onto it so we can remember to pack it?”

“Umm” Meg pursed her lips as she considered it. “Yup.”

“Ok, we need to put a movie in Meg. Do you want me to pick one for you tonight?” Ashlyn prodded.

Meg shyly looked at Ali and then at the movies and then back at Ali. The brunette thought she was angling for another gifted movie and wasn’t sure what to do. But Ashlyn knew what the little girl wanted.

“You want Ali to pick the movie tonight?”

Meg nodded and then grinned up at the keeper gratefully.

“Oh well that’s easy. I love them all but you have one of my favorites out here.” Ali tapped ‘Brave’ with her finger and smiled as Meg grinned back at her.

Twenty minutes later the toddler was asleep in Ashlyn’s arms. The keeper had stretched out on the couch the way she and Ali usually cuddled up together. Her feet down next to Hannah. Meg lay next to her in the crook of her left arm with her little head on the blonde’s chest. Her own tiny left arm was still stretched out behind her where Ali had held her hand until she had fallen asleep. Whitney came in with bowls of popcorn and took her seat in the recliner after taking a picture of the cute moment.

“Should I bring her up now?” Ashlyn asked Hannah.

“Up to you. As long as she stays asleep I don’t care where she is” she chuckled.

It wasn’t until the movie ended that Ashlyn carried her up and put her into bed. Hannah had gone up and made sure the covers were turned down so she could just settle her right in. Ali and Sydney helped pull Ashlyn to her feet with Meg still in her arms.

“If I hadn’t overdone it today I could totally have done that on my own” the ever competitive blonde said quietly.

“Yeah, yeah” Sydney teased. “Just accept the village’s help would ya?”

“Does the village want to help me carry her up the stairs?” she half-joked.

Several minutes later, Hannah came back down and followed Ali and Sydney into the mudroom. They were gathering up their things to leave and were surprised to see Ashlyn’s houseguest standing in the doorway.

“Is everything ok?” Ali asked, worried that something had gone wrong with Ashlyn carrying Meg up the stairs on her exhausted legs.

Hannah looked confused “What? Oh, yes, everything’s fine. She’ll be down in a minute. We had a packing situation but it’s all set.” She looked down and then back up, slowly.

“What’s up Hannah?” Ali asked in an all-business tone. 

She wasn’t annoyed, but she wasn’t interested in having any meaningful heart to heart either. Ali had to admit that Hannah had been pleasant and considerate and thoughtful all day. She had gone out of her way to make sure Ashlyn got, and enjoyed, time with her daughter. Ali had seen it with her own eyes more than once. The Hannah today was not the same Hannah that Ali had come to know last year. They were two totally different women and the brunette was completely confused about the whole damned thing.

“I just wanted to say thank you, again, for being so sweet with Meg. And thank you for the movie. And for literally saving her at the beach today” she chuckled and shook her head. 

“What the hell did I miss at the beach?” Sydney muttered to herself. 

“I think Meg’s great. She’s smart and kind and funny and strong. It’s easy to see why Ashlyn loves her so much” Ali replied evenly, still not sure where the conversation was headed.

Hannah shifted uncomfortably and sighed. “Look, I know you don’t think much of me and, when I look back on it, I can’t blame you.” She paused for a minute. “You have no reason to believe me, but I wanted you to know that I was not my best self last year. Ash loves my kid and you love her so it seems like we’re going to be breathing some of the same air” she stopped again, waiting for Ali to say something. But the brunette just stood there listening. “I hope you’ll be ok with that, I guess is what I’m trying to say.”

They stood there and looked at each other for almost a full minute before Ali spoke.

“I don’t know what’s happening right now. I feel like I stepped into the Twilight Zone or something because the Hannah I saw today is not the Hannah I saw last year. I don’t trust you and I probably never will. But today was great and I’m trying not to overthink it.”

“Hey sorry that took so long...” Ashlyn stopped as she entered the mudroom from the kitchen. Her eyes were big as she looked at Hannah and Ali. “Everything ok in here?” she asked slowly.

“I think we’re good” Hannah answered, waiting for Ali’s reply.

“Yeah, we’re good.”

“Thanks again Ali” Hannah said sincerely and looked at Sydney. “It was nice to meet you Syd.”

“Yeah, you too. See you later Ash. I’ll wait for you in the car Al” Sydney said and walked out the door.

“I’m just getting some water and going to bed. I’m wiped. Good night” Hannah said and moved into the kitchen.

“Night” the keeper said over her shoulder as she walked the three steps to her girlfriend and gave her a hug. “I thought you were staying over?” she whined softly in Ali’s ear as they held each other.

The brunette broke the hug, knowing Hannah would be walking back through the mudroom any second. After she had passed through Ali pulled her girlfriend into a deep kiss.

“I love you Ashlyn. I had a wonderful day and I just don’t want anything to ruin that” she explained quickly, knowing Sydney was waiting for her.

“But...”

“Come see me on your way home from the airport tomorrow morning” she said before giving the blonde another kiss and walking out the door.


	29. The Fortress

Friday morning at 10:15am Ashlyn rang the doorbell at Ali’s house after taking Hannah and Meg to the airport. The blonde was sad about Meg leaving but thrilled at how wonderful the visit had been. Aside from a temper tantrum from the toddler every other day there was nothing close to even a disagreement among anybody. The visit really couldn’t have gone better. Even the potentially explosive mixture of Hannah and Ali never reached anywhere close to a boiling point. Ashlyn wanted to be skeptical but she was just too damned happy.

Ali and Whitney were skeptical enough for everybody. But they were both very confused about Hannah’s perfect behavior. They appreciated it but they were stumped by it too. They had texted each other quickly the night before while Sydney drove Ali home. Neither one of them trusted Ashlyn’s ex but they couldn’t find fault with anything she had said or done. Hannah had taken the keeper’s point-blank explanation of why Ali wasn’t around on the chin and never brought it up again. She had even tried to apologize or, at least, smooth things over for the future with Ali at the end of last night. For the first time Ali could see why Ashlyn had fallen for Hannah in the first place. The blonde had said it herself, ‘when she was good, she was very good’. Ashlyn’s two protectors would continue to be vigilant when it came to Hannah. 

“Hey babe” Ali said as she opened the front door. She was still dressed in her pajamas, blue checkered Penn State bottoms and a tight, white sleep tank. Her hair was up in a loose bun, mostly on top of her head but a little bit down on one side, and she wore her glasses. Ashlyn could see her nipples poking through her shirt and she grinned at the brunette, careful to keep her eyes on Ali’s beautiful face.

“Hi.”

The blonde closed the door behind her and picked her girlfriend up and spun her around in a hug. Ali wrapped her legs around the keeper and giggled.

“Someone’s in a really good mood this morning.”

Ashlyn kissed the breast closest to her mouth and then leaned up and kissed Ali’s lips soundly. She stopped spinning and carefully put her girlfriend down.

“I love you. Despite your atrocious taste in pajama pants.” Ashlyn teased and smacked Ali on her butt.

She stood up and slowly took in her surroundings.

“Whoa” she said quietly as she saw half-packed boxes, stacks of books, an open box of big black contractor trash bags on the floor and an assortment of different colored markers and tape on the coffee table.

“Oh yeah, you haven’t been here for a while” Ali sighed and leaned into the blonde as they both looked at the upheaval in the living room.

“You’ve been busy” the keeper said as she looked into the hallway and saw boxes yet to be taped together leaning against the wall.

“Well it’s not going to magically get done without me” Ali chuckled. “I feel like Syd and I made good progress this week. And now that I know what’s staying for sure it’s easier to move forward and start getting things packed up.”

Ashlyn all of a sudden felt terrible for not doing more to help. She had totally monopolized two of her three weeks during the Olympic break. She was taking the brunette with her to Satellite Beach for the last ten days of the break for her brother’s party and to visit her family. And she had invited Meg and Hannah up for the second week of the break. They could have had Ali’s whole house packed up in those two weeks if they had worked together on it. The blonde felt guilty.

“George is coming to look at the garage as soon as we get back. Once we know it’s solid we can start moving stuff up, whenever you want. And I called the cable company about boosting the wifi and increasing the speed for the internet and adding in the fax line...”

“Hey, relax” Ali kissed Ashlyn’s lips softly and let them linger there for a minute. “There’s no rush. I mean, we have a schedule to stick to now, but we’re good” she kissed her again and felt the blonde relax a little. “Don’t worry babe and please don’t stress about it.” Ali giggled and pecked her lips. “I’m doing enough of that for the both of us already” she laughed.

“Does it make you sad, packing everything up and getting ready to say goodbye?”

“Yeah it does” Ali led her girlfriend by the hand to sit with her on the couch. “Packing is a pain and I’ve always hated it” she chuckled as she curled up with her legs across Ashlyn’s lap. “But leaving this house does make me sad. It was my own little fortress for so long and I love it. But I don’t need it anymore.”

The keeper squeezed her girlfriend and smiled sadly at her. “I’m sorry Al.”

“It’s ok. It makes me feel good that Syd and Dom are going to live in it.” The brunette lifted her head and looked around the house proudly. “It was here for me when I needed it and now they need it to get started on their new life together. And then they’ll sell it to someone else who needs it after them. It’s the circle of life, right?”

“Oh crap, I forgot your movies. I meant to bring them back this morning, I told Meg I would...”

“Please don’t bring one more thing into this house, ever again” Ali giggled. “And where did that come from anyway?”

“You said ‘circle of life’ and I automatically think of ‘The Lion King’, especially this week.” They both laughed and then kissed for a few minutes.

“Did I ever tell you about my two old widower neighbors? Donald and Francis from when I first moved in?”

“No baby, tell me about them” Ashlyn smiled as she watched the brunette’s face soften.

Twenty minutes later Ali finished talking about the two elderly widowers that were her first two neighbors. Donald was 97 and Francis was 85 when the brunette had moved in. Ali had bought the house from somebody who had flipped the house from the previous owner within a year of that owner passing away. He too had been an elderly widower. Donald was a retired mechanical engineer and smart as a whip. He voluntarily gave up his driver’s license the year before after accidentally hitting the gas instead of the brake in the supermarket parking lot. He only went two feet before he corrected his mistake but it had shaken him so badly, the thought that he might have killed somebody else, that he gave his keys to his son and told him to sell the car. Francis was the retired police chief from Stoneham and he got up every morning and played tennis and always had a good story to tell. They both joked with Ali about moving into widowers’ row and made her feel very welcome. 

Donald used to order things from the shopping network on cable and every few months Ali would come home to find a box on her back patio (it was closer for him to walk to that door than her front door). Sometimes it was silly, sometimes it was functional, sometimes it was both. He had watched her trying to get Apollo up into the back of her truck the first time she dogsat him at the new house. A couple of weeks later the doggie ramp that Ali still used had been delivered. Another gift from Donald. He talked about his late wife often, he wasn’t some lecherous old guy just being nice to the pretty new girl. Ali would take him out for lunch on his birthday. She only got to do that twice though before he passed away. Her favorite Donald story was the time they had chatted over the backyard fence about the tv series ‘Friends’. He had just discovered it in re-runs and loved it but had complained about having to watch them out of order. Ali had gotten the complete collection on DVD as a gift years before and she offered it to him, making sure he knew how the DVD worked, etc. She had gotten the shock of her life when he had assured her that he knew how the DVD player worked but thanked her for checking. And then he offered to lend her his ‘Sex and the City’ collection in case she hadn’t seen that yet. Ali couldn’t shake the incongruity of her 97 year old widower neighbor watching Carrie, Samantha and the gang talk about their sex lives.

Francis was an entirely different story. He was one of those men whose wife had done everything for him all his life. He was cheerful and good-natured and quick with a joke and a smile. But he was the one that Ali often went and helped. She could see his driveway from her office desk. So every time he pulled in and started to unload his groceries or his laundry or whatever, the brunette could only take it for so long before she ran over to help him carry it inside. He was far from helpless but he was one of those guys who enjoyed having people do things for him. He wasn’t trying to be a jerk. He only started asking for help three years in to their neighborly friendship after he had gotten sick. He had gotten weaker and legitimately needed more assistance. One of his grown daughters lived in town and would come and help him whenever he needed anything, but sometime he would call Ali. The brunette even unclogged his toilet for him once. After his children had taken his keys from him as he had continued to decline, he would often ask Ali to drive him places around town. That was where she drew the line though. His other daughter had asked her once not to do that because they were trying to keep an eye on him. He was starting to show signs of alzheimer’s and they were afraid for his well-being. Getting those phone calls from him and having to say no were gut-wrenching for the brunette. His family moved him to an assisted living facility just last year but he had only lasted another six month before passing away. 

In place of the widowers came new neighbors. Francis’ granddaughter had bought his house and moved in with her husband and two young children. And Donald’s family had sold the house to a young woman about Ali’s age. Ali didn’t think she could have gotten any luckier with neighbors, but they were almost as nice as Donald and Francis had been. Ali had gone to both of their funerals and been surprised when members of the family came up to her to thank her for the kindness she had shown their father or grandfather. The only thing she would have changed about those two gentlemen would have been their attitudes toward each other. That was what was so ironic about Ali’s situation. She loved them both dearly and they loved her back. But they hated each other with a passion. And it always seemed so out of character to the brunette. She couldn’t see either of them hating anybody, but she learned quickly not to mention one to the other. She always thought it was a shame because she could have cooked a nice dinner and had them both come over, except they wouldn’t do it. One of Ali’s other neighbors warned her against trying it. Many others had tried and failed. They just didn’t like each other.

“So that’s where that ramp came from that you use for Apollo?” Ashlyn asked with a smile.

“Yep. And he gave me a few of my shot glasses too.”

“And so Billy and Annie are Francis’ great-grandchildren?” the blonde clarified, having met the kids several times over the fence in the backyard.

“Yep.”

“Wow, that’s an amazing story.” Ashlyn hugged the brunette who had gotten teary-eyed at all the memories. “They were lucky to have you baby.”

“I was lucky to have them too. They made me feel useful when I really didn’t feel very much of anything” Ali got choked up. “And they both thought Syd was the fucking Queen of Sheba” she chuckled. “She was here a lot, especially the first year, and she made them laugh so hard I thought we might need to call an ambulance a couple of times.”

“I can definitely see that” the keeper chuckled. “It’s funny, when I was visiting Mrs. Cummings a lot you could tell the ones who hadn’t given up yet. You know?”

Ali cocked her head, encouraging her girlfriend to go on.

“There were old people there who just sat there and were miserable. Now I’m not talking about the sick ones. If you’re sick you’re sick and you’re allowed to feel miserable, as far as I’m concerned. But I mean the healthier old people who made a decision every morning to sit there like a stump and be morose and difficult. I can’t imagine ever making that decision.”

“We don’t know them though Ash. I was one of those people who sat like a stump for a while and I did it because it was the best I could do” Ali replied quietly.

“Yeah but it was temporary for you. That’s what I mean. These people do it for years. Mrs. Riley told me about one woman who has been there for three years and hasn’t spoken to anybody but her family when they come to visit. It’s like she only lives when they’re around. I don’t know. It just makes me sad for them.”

“So let’s make sure that’s never either one of us. Ok?” Ali asked sticking her pinkie finger out.

“Deal” the blonde agreed and shook Ali’s pinkie finger with her own.

“And let’s get Apollo and go see Mrs. Cummings soon.”

//

“Well that fucking sucks” Whitney said dejectedly as she sat back down in the recliner with a groan.

“I can’t believe it came down to pks. Fucking hell” Ali added, still standing behind the coffee table.

The USWNT had just lost their quarterfinal match against Sweden in the Olympics. It was tied 1-1 at the end of 90 and again after the two 15 minute extra periods. And Sweden had beaten the US on penalty kicks. More accurately, the US had lost, missing two of the pks, including the very first one that seemed to have set the tone. Ashlyn, Whitney and Ali had been standing nervously in the front living room of the big old house watching and holding their breath. Ashlyn and the brunette had gotten there just at kick-off after getting Ali packed up for their vacation and reminiscing about her elderly neighbors.

“I think Hope pissed them off when she switched out her gloves.” Ashlyn hadn’t spoken or moved since the deciding pk. She was still crouched down on the floor by the window seat looking at the tv as Sweden celebrated. “She was trying to shake them up and I think it backfired.”

“Pia probably told them to expect it” Whitney agreed.

“I can’t believe it. Not only are they not going to win the gold but they’re done. They don’t even get to try and compete for the bronze” Ali shook her head, eyes still glued to the screen.

“Secretly I’m a little happy for Sweden though” Whitney admitted, looking guilty.

“That’s right, you played there for a season. I always forget that. And you did too Ash, but not for the whole season, right?” the brunette inquired.

“Yeah, the Spirit wouldn’t let me stay for the full season, even though we were making a run for the Champions League title” the keeper answered, eyes still glued to the tv. “Fuckers.”

“Who? Washington or Sweden?” Whitney asked, teasing her best friend a little bit.

“Right now, both.”

//

“Syd and my dad have keys to my house” Ali answered later that night as they got ready for bed. “Who do you get, besides me, to watch the house for you when you’re away?”

“Well, Mrs. Riley has a key but I gave her the week off, and your dad has a key but I told the alarm company to call George if anything happens while we’re gone. He was cool with it” Ashlyn explained as she flushed the toilet and washed her hands.

“When did you give my dad a key?” the brunette asked as she sat on the toilet to pee. “How am I not aware of this?”

“I don’t know when exactly, but he was helping me with the office and I didn’t want him to not be able to get in if I was late or something one of those Wednesday nights. So I gave him a key and told him the alarm code and all that.” The keeper dried her hands and started brushing her teeth. “Why? Is that a problem?”

“No, I just think it’s weird that my dad got the back-up key from you and not me.” Ali flushed and moved to the sink to wash her hands. “Don’t you think it’s a little odd?” she asked, looking at her girlfriend in the big mirror in front of them.

“I didn’t until now” the blonde mumbled around her toothbrush before spitting. “Did he say something to you about it?”

“No, I just...”

“Oh I get it” Ashlyn grinned, her mouth still covered in toothpaste, and moved towards the other sink where her girlfriend was drying her hands. “You’re just jealous and being possessive of your pops” she put her arms around Ali and held her in place as she moved her mouth towards hers, making the brunette squeal. “Don’t worry, I’m not trying to steal your dad.”

“Stop” Ali giggled and tried to keep her mouth away from the blonde’s toothpaste-covered lips that were aggressively coming at her.

“Can’t. Stop.” Ashlyn said each word separately as she kissed and rubbed her mouth around the brunette’s neck. Ali finally relaxed in her arms and sighed.

“Are you done?” she giggled again as the keeper started to pull away.

“Yes. Are you really upset that I gave your dad a key?” the blonde asked as she rinsed her mouth out.

“No I’m not upset.” Ali took a handful of water and wiped her neck off as Ashlyn gave her the hand towel. “I think it’s kind of sweet actually. It just surprised me.” She hugged the blonde and kissed her softly. “But what else is new? You’re full of surprises babe.”

//

“Thanks Syd!” Whitney called out as she pulled her suitcase out of the back of Ali’s truck at the airport. Ashlyn and Ali were departing from a different terminal and were getting dropped off next. They waved at the defender from the backseat.

“No problem Whit! Have a great time!” Sydney yelled back with a grin.

“I brought all of my work stuff back to my house and it’s set up in my office, just like usual” Ali explained to her best friend as they hugged goodbye at the next terminal. “Hopefully I won’t have to ask you to do anything, but just in case.”

“Just let me know Alibaba, anything you need.” Sydney kissed her cheek and then smacked her on her butt as she turned around.

Ali had driven Ashlyn and Whitney to her house in Stoneham Saturday morning where they met Sydney. Sydney drove Ali’s truck, with all of their luggage already loaded into it, to the airport to drop off the three travelers. They would do the same thing in reverse the following Sunday as long as their flights didn’t get messed up. The coach would also try to help her best friend with any huge work crisis that came up while she was in Florida. It would have been unusual for something to come up that would require Sydney to go into Ali’s work folders and try and find whatever information was needed to solve the problem at hand. It had happened once and the coach went into the folder and found the document Ali directed her to. She took a picture of it and sent it to the brunette and then Ali had been able to take care of the problem over the phone. They both felt that if they prepared for it then they wouldn’t actually have to do it.

//

Their first few days in Satellite Beach had been fantastic. It took Ali a day to really start to relax but after that she was at peace letting her work obligations go. She checked her email once a day in case of emergencies and only replied to absolute emergencies. She never answered the phone, in fact, she had it on silent the whole week.

They got together with the Harris clad their first night and hung out at Gram’s house. Mike had pulled his daughter aside early on to give her a big hug and congratulate her on pulling off Ali’s big surprise and getting her to move in with her.

“And I heard what you did for your mother. I just want you to know you did good kid” he said hoarsely as his emotions started to get the better of him. He hugged Ashlyn again and kissed her on the cheek.

“But I did it for all of us. I wasn’t even sure Mom would be ok with it” she tried to explain. “I was worried she’d be upset.”

“She’s wanted to know all of that her whole life Ash. She’s been beating herself up since Lilian died that she didn’t know her better. I’m telling you, you did good and it meant the world to her.”

“Thanks Pop. Thanks for letting me know.”

The couple spent as much time relaxing as possible. The first two days were strictly beach days. They tanned, ate, swam and even napped a little as the sun and surf washed their worries away. Ashlyn started to teach the brunette how to surf, giving her lessons both Saturday and Sunday mornings. 

“I can’t do much about the rest of your list right now but this was the one thing on there that we can get started on” Ashlyn announced as they stood in the sand with two surfboards.

Ali had been surprised but appreciated her girlfriend’s offer and efforts to teach her to do something that she herself loved so much. And, more than anything, she was touched that the keeper had been listening so closely to her list of things she wanted them to do together before their life got more complicated with kids and pets and things. Surfing wasn’t something you just picked up and started doing. Ali was one of the most coordinated people the blonde had ever known but even she struggled with the basics of standing up on a surf board in the ocean. They practiced for three or four hours each morning and Ali improved. Her balance was very good but she needed to get used to the board on the waves. They both knew she would keep getting better.

Liz and her boyfriend joined them on Sunday for the day. The vacationing couple was staying in Ashlyn’s old room at Gram’s house so, as usual, they had very little privacy. They had the quietest sex possible at the end of both of their beach days. The skin on display too much for either of them to resist. Tuesday they repeated their tour of Satellite Beach. Ali had prepared a surprise picnic for the blonde which had been tricky because she couldn’t just pack food into the car and leave it there all morning in the insane Florida heat. She had asked Chris for help. He picked up the picnic basket in the morning on his way to the surf shop for the day. He brought it to Beth’s flower shop and she kept it in one of her big cooler walk-ins until Ali and Ashlyn stopped in to say hi. She distracted Ashlyn while Ali put the food into the car and then made sure their next stop was the glade with the stream that the brunette had loved so much from her other visit.

“What’s this?” Ashlyn asked as Ali lifted the picnic basket out of the backseat with an adorable smirk on her face.

“I get to surprise you for once” the brunette beamed.

“Well I hate to tell you this baby, but if that’s been in the car all morning we can’t...”

“Just never you mind” Ali winked. “I took care of things and everything in here is perfectly chilled and ready to be eaten. Now come on, I’m starving.”

They sat on the flat rocks with their feet dangling into the stream just as they had last October. Ali had made sandwiches and pasta salad and brought lots of pickles and olives and all the little condiments her girl loved. She even brought a bottle of champagne.

“I know they’re not as good as your sandwiches but I hope they’ll be ok” Ali teased but was really a little self-conscious about how her sandwiches would measure up.

“It’s delicious Al. And considering you only had what Gram had in the fridge to work with, I’d say it’s extra delicious” she leaned over and kissed the brunette’s cheek as they finished their meal.

“I love this place so much” Ali mumbled around the last bite of sandwich, pickle and chips.

“I love how you do that. Every time” Ashlyn giggled and kissed the brunette’s cheek again.

“What?”

“When you eat you parcel everything out so you have a little bit of each thing left for the last bite” the keeper explained with an adoring grin.

“I do?”

“You definitely do. I’ve watched. I love it for some weird reason” Ashlyn chuckled and kissed her on the lips. 

“Wow, I may never eat the same way again” Ali teased, pretending to be self-conscious.

“Don’t change a thing baby. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable about it. I just think it’s adorable.”

They got a little drunk on the champagne, which Ali hadn’t planned for, and had to stay longer in the glade. They cleaned everything up from their picnic and got comfortable on the grass behind the rocks they had just been sitting on. Ali leaned her back against the smooth stone, the top of her head just barely visible above the rock. Ashlyn straddled her hips, keeping her eye on the entrance on the other side of the glade. Their kisses turned hungry and eventually became a steamy make-out session with hands underneath shirts and bras and shorts unbuttoned. They were so caught up in the moment and the magic of the glade that Ali had her fingers inside the keeper’s boxers and was just about to move them inside her girlfriend when they were interrupted by the shout and playful laughter of two small children who had just tumbled through the entrance.

“Fuck” Ashlyn whispered as she ducked down quickly and rolled off of the brunette.

“Ow, my hand!” Ali exclaimed as quietly as she could. 

They pulled themselves together as the children approached the stream at a noisy trot. Ali stood up first with a giggle as the blonde finished buttoning her shorts. The children skidded to a stop, surprised to see the two women standing where there had been no-one a moment before. A man and woman hustled through the entrance just then as well and everybody smiled at one another as Ali and Ashlyn picked up their picnic basket and left the glade hand-in-hand. The shot of adrenaline from being surprised and almost caught in a compromising position by two strange children sobered them both right up. 

As the afternoon wore on and got hotter and hotter the couple retreated to the cool air conditioned shopping centers in the area. They found a photobooth and took some silly and adorable pictures, giggling the entire time. Ali did her favorite duck face pose and Ashlyn her patented gangsta smirk. It was one of those string of four pictures and they both instantly fell in love with the very last one. It was a candid because they thought there were only three shots so they thought they were finished. In the picture the blonde pressed a kiss to Ali’s cheek with her eyes closed and a joyful look on her face. The brunette faced the camera but didn’t acknowledge it, her mouth in a half-smile and a little bit open. Her eyes were half closed and looking slightly sideways towards her girlfriend’s kiss, her head tilted just a bit as she leaned into it. The look on her face could only be described as rapturous and the reason for it was blatantly obvious.

“Wow” Ashlyn breathed out as she looked at the photo. “That’s all I want. To make you look like that for the rest of my life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you were expecting smut at the beginning of this chapter. I didn't intend the end of Chapter 28 to lead you on and I'm sorry. But next chapter has the double-sided dildo smut you've all been waiting for so, hang on just one more chapter. Thanks for reading!


	30. Vacation Fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning.

Wednesday they drove to Orlando and spent the day at Epcot. They attempted to drink their way around the world again with Liz and several other of Ashlyn’s friends. Halfway through the countries Ali reminded her girlfriend that they had booked a room at the Beach Club Resort for the night. They had selected that hotel because you could walk to it from the Epcot countries or take the boat the hotel offered. They had dropped their overnight bags there before heading over to Epcot. Ashlyn kissed the brunette and thanked her profusely. She thanked her so abundantly that Ali thought maybe she had reined her in too late. What the brunette didn’t realize was that the blonde had packed something special for them and would do almost anything to make sure their evening ended the right way. Even though they were surrounded by six other friends Ashlyn and Ali stayed close together the entire time, reveling in the small touches and simple kisses until they could be alone together later that night.

At 9pm the group gathered to watch the fireworks show over the lake in the center of the countries of Epcot. The couple sat together on a bench and held hands as they leaned back and watched the night sky light up into a million sparkling colors. Ali rested her head on Ashlyn’s shoulder and wrapped her arm around the keeper’s stomach. She had never been more content in her entire life. When the fireworks ended they said goodbye to their friends and walked arm-in-arm to their hotel. They stopped for one last drink at the outdoor bar by the pool and enjoyed the warm night air as they stared at each other and softly stroked each other’s arms and cheeks and necks. By the time they got up to their room it was just after 10pm and they were both extremely worked up.

As the door closed behind them Ashlyn wasted no time pulling the brunette to her and joining their lips in a scorching kiss. She walked her girlfriend backwards until her legs ran up against the king size bed. Ali leaned back, away from the kiss and pulled her shirt over her head, dropping it on the floor next to them as she smirked up at the keeper. Ashlyn accepted the challenge and pulled her sleeveless t-shirt up and over her head as well, going one better and reaching behind her to remove her bra in the next instant. She leaned her lower body forward and pressed her thigh between Ali’s legs and bit her bottom lip as she raked her eyes over the brunette’s beautiful body. Ali unhooked her bra behind her back but left it hanging loosely off of her shoulders as she reached for the blonde’s pants. She started to unbutton the jeans, giving Ashlyn a challenging look. The keeper grinned devilishly and bent down and placed hot, open-mouthed kisses on Ali’s chest. She worked her way down to the bottom of the bra and took it in her mouth, between her teeth. Ali moaned softly as she finally got the jeans undone and felt her girlfriend’s tongue lick just below her breasts as she tugged the bra down her arms. The brunette dropped her hands to her sides and let the bra fall to the floor between them. Ashlyn pushed her own pants and boxers down, stepping out of them and kneeling in front of Ali with her hands on her sexy hips. The brunette moaned again at the sight of her gorgeous, naked girlfriend kneeling in front of her. God that made her wet. She rubbed her thighs together and buried her hands in the long blonde locks at her midsection.

“Fuck Ash, you’re sexy as hell.”

Ashlyn smirked up at her as she pulled the brunette’s shorts and panties down past her muscular thighs, letting them drop to the floor. She could see how wet her girl was by the passion already dripping at the top of her thighs.

“Jesus you’re wet. I fucking love how wet you get for me baby” the keeper husked out as she ran her hands up the outside of her thighs and around behind her to squeeze her sexy ass. “Fuck Ali, you’re incredible.”

The brunette pulled the keeper up and brought their lips together in another passionate kiss. Ashlyn met her tongue with her own and they dueled together, Ali finally sucking the blonde’s into submission. They broke the kiss for air and the brunette turned towards the bed and pulled all the covers down to the foot of it. Ashlyn took advantage of the little break in the action to go to her overnight bag by the desk.

“What are you doing babe?” Ali whined as she stood next to the bed, still rubbing her thighs together.

“Hop up there and get comfortable sexy. I’ll be right there. I brought something we might want to try tonight.”

Ali wasted no time getting on top of the bed. She leaned against the pillows at the headboard and spread her legs out, idly moving her hand across her mound and up and down her stomach as she watched her keeper across the room. Ashlyn walked towards the bed with her arms behind her back and her dimpled grin on full display. The dimple wasn’t usually sexy but when she paired it with the smirk on her face it was hot as fuck.

“Hurry up you big tease. Those long legs move faster than that” Ali complained playfully. “Get over here.”

The sight of the beautiful brunette lying there, spread open and waiting for her was enough to take Ashlyn’s breath away.

“Jesus you’re gorgeous” she breathed out as she finally stood next to the bed. “The things you do to me...” she said, shaking her head in amazement as she felt her clit twitch and a wave of passion pool between her legs.

“Well get your sexy ass up here so I can actually do things to you” she said and spread her legs even wider as she patted the bed in between them.

“Only if you promise to be honest with me and tell me whether you want to try this or not. I don’t care if we don’t use it tonight.” She gave her girlfriend a serious look that told her she required a serious answer before they could progress.

“Fine, of course I’ll be honest with you Ash. Now hurry the fuck up or I’m going to start taking care of myself.” Ali winked as she said the words but the keeper knew she wasn’t joking.

Ashlyn moved her hands in front of her revealing the purple double-sided dildo and one of the bottles of lube. The dildo had one end that was shorter and thicker, about 3-1/2”, and another end that looked more like a typical dildo, longer and thinner, about 7” or so. The bend between the two ends was almost a ninety degree angle, maybe closer to eighty degrees.

“You packed that and brought it on the plane?!” Ali squealed, delighted at the surprise and the lustful look on the blonde’s face.

“Well I checked it, I didn’t put it in my carry-on or anything” she chuckled. “Can you imagine having your bag searched and they pull this out in front of everybody?” She climbed up on the bed and put the toy down between Ali’s legs as she bent over and started kissing her way up the closest leg.

Ali picked up the dildo and looked down at her girlfriend as she got to the top of her right leg and moved over across her center without touching it and started kissing down her other leg.

“You missed a spot babe” Ali teased. “What end do you want to wear? Are you fucking me first or how do you want to do this?” she asked, eager to get going.

Ashlyn got to the bottom of her leg and began kissing up the inside of it. She bit the inside of the brunette’s thigh and licked some of the wetness there. The urge to bury her face in Ali’s pussy was nearly overwhelming.

“The thicker end is for the wearer, instead of the straps from the harness. I don’t quite get why they’re not the same but I imagine it’s to make it easier to thrust.”

“You’ve never used one of these kind before?” Ali asked innocently.

“No but I’ve always wanted to. But if you don’t want to it’s ok...”

“Ash, I definitely want to. And if you don’t tell me what you want to do with it I’m just gonna guess and probably mess us all up. So tell meeeeee” she stretched the word out and whined.

“Ok, ok” the blonde chuckled, stopped kissing her thighs and sat up on her knees between Ali’s legs. “Like I said, the shorter, thicker end is for the wearer. But from the other times we’ve used the strap on I can tell that you like a thicker dildo than I do. So I’m torn about what we should do. When we bought it I just assumed that I would be the wearer but I think you might get more pleasure out of it if you use that end” she leaned forward and kissed Ali’s lips. “What do you think?”

Ali was thinking hard about what the blonde had said. It made good sense, but she still wasn’t great with the strap-on so she was nervous about being the wearer and not doing a good job.

“Remember” Ashlyn continued when she saw the brunette still trying to decide what to do or say, “we can always change it up any time we want to. It’s easier than the strap-on because there’s no harness or anything.”

“Oh yeah, that’s true” Ali agreed. “Ok, let’s start with me and if it’s not working or I can’t get the hang of it we’ll switch.” She looked at Ashlyn seriously for a minute. “But you have to promise to tell me if I suck...”

“Oh you suck alright baby, you suck like nobody I’ve ever known” Ashlyn teased lasciviously and gave her girlfriend a deep kiss, sucking her tongue into her mouth and moaning.

Ali took the thick end and started rubbing it along her soaking wet folds. She took the long end and did the same thing, surprised at how wet she was and they hadn’t even done anything yet.

“Is it wet enough for you babe?” Ali asked breathlessly after the kiss.

Ashlyn took the dildo and slid it through her own folds making sure it was nice and wet. She put the shorter end inside her mouth and sucked and licked all of Ali’s juices off of it.

“Mmmmmm, so good” she mumbled around it as Ali gently tugged it out of her mouth.

“Hey, now I’ve gotta get it wet again. You’re killing me Harris” she chuckled and got the thicker end wet again.

Ashlyn’s eyes went dark when she watched the brunette slowly push the dildo into her own center. The keeper watched it twitch a little bit as Ali clenched her pussy around it, moaning softly and then re-positioning it slightly with her hand. Ali bit her lip and met her girlfriend’s hungry eyes.

“Are you ready?” the brunette asked seductively.

“Yes, please.”

Ashlyn lay back and put two pillows under her lower back and butt again, just as they had done the first time they used the strap-on. She thought about laying Ali flat on her back and riding her but she didn’t want to throw too many new things into the mix all at once. Ali got on her knees and moved between the keeper’s legs. Ashlyn’s knees were bent and her legs were up and to the sides so she was nice and open.

“Fuck you’re gorgeous Ashlyn” the brunette leaned down and kissed her clit so gently the keeper could barely feel it.

She slowly moved the tip of the dildo up and down, teasing Ashlyn’s entrance with it. Every contact that she made with it echoed back inside her own vagina as the shorter end reacted and pressed against her g-spot. Ali pushed the tip inside and watched her girlfriend’s face change and her eyes close as she felt it sliding deeper. The brunette went slowly but kept going until she was all the way inside Ashlyn’s pussy. The blonde clenched her walls around the dildo which pulled on the end inside of Ali and made her moan.

“Oh my God this is amazing” Ali gasped.

“Feels so good baby...Keep going” Ashlyn urged.

Ali started to slide in and out, increasing her pace gradually. The pressure inside her own core when she pulled back was strong and it made it hard to hold the wearer end in place. She knew immediately that she would need more practice to use the toy effectively. Instead of getting frustrated about it though she just kept going. She clenched as hard as she could to keep her end where it belonged as she started to thrust.

“Yeah, that feels so fucking good Al” Ashlyn encouraged as she opened her eyes and saw the concentration on the brunette’s face. “How does it feel for you?” She reached her hand down to touch her girlfriend’s as it grabbed her hip.

“It feels good but it’s hard to keep in. I don’t think I’ll be able to make you come this way babe” she answered truthfully but kept thrusting.

“Whatever you’re doing feels great but if you want to stop that’s ok too.”

Ali wanted to keep going. She wanted to fuck Ashlyn all the way to an orgasm with that thing and wasn’t going to give up easily. She bent over and lay flat on top of the keeper, kissing her neck. Ali wrapped her arms low around her girlfriend’s waist hoping to control the amount of time and space between thrusts because that’s where she struggled with her end. She felt more in control in that position and Ashlyn started moving her hands all around her back and her ass and her sides which spurred her on. She felt the keeper’s breath quicken and then heard her moan a low, throaty moan. She took that as a good sign too but then her shorter, thicker end slid out and she had to stop and re-insert it.

“I’m sorry Ash. It’s harder than I thought it would be.”

“You feel so good inside me Ali, please don’t stop.”

She looked down at the keeper and saw the familiar flush starting to move up her chest. That was another good sign. Maybe it really did feel good for the blonde. Ali started thrusting again after wrapping her arms around Ashlyn and quickly got her rhythm back. The keeper started panting a little bit and Ali started sweating as she fought to hold the dildo inside herself and push it in and out of her girlfriend fast enough to feel good.

“Am I hitting your clit at all?” Ali panted out the question near the blonde’s ear, biting the lobe after she said the last word.

“Yeah, a little bit...I’m close honey.” 

Ashlyn was kicking herself for letting the brunette try it first. Even though Ali was more than game that didn’t mean it was the right call. She couldn’t give her any advice or even do anything on her own end to try and help because she didn’t know what it felt like to be on Ali’s end yet. Too late to go back. She wasn’t sure she could get off that way. She needed faster and harder thrusting or some clit work. The blonde reached down to try and get to her sensitive nub but Ali’s body was pressed down against her own and there was no room to squeeze her hand in without really making a big deal out of it.

“Oh fuck it” Ali said, surprising the keeper out of her thoughts.

The brunette let the toy slide out of her own core as she moved off of her girlfriend. She knelt next to the keeper’s hip and put her hand on the end of the dildo that kept slipping out of her own pussy. Ali started pumping the dildo hard and fast with her hand as she brought her mouth down to suck on Ashlyn’s clit.

“Jesus. Yes!” Ashlyn yelled and groaned. “Oh fuck. Yeah. Just like that.”

Ali moved her other hand up and started rubbing the keeper’s breasts, working from the outside in and eventually pinching and tugging on the nipples. Her tongue circled Ashlyn’s swollen clit a few times and then tapped it lightly causing the blonde to writhe and arch her back.

“Yes, please. Unnnhhh. Baby.”

Ashlyn’s eyes were closed and her mouth was open as she panted and moaned. Her breasts were bouncing with the movements, stopping only when Ali’s hand held one of them. The brunette kept thrusting the dildo as hard and fast as she could while she sucked her girlfriend’s clit into her mouth and flicked it with her tongue.

“Fuck!”

Ali kept flicking and sucking her clit and tugging her nipples as she felt one of the blonde’s legs start to twitch. Ashlyn’s walls clamped down on the dildo making it harder to push and pull. The brunette released her clit and immediately started flicking her tongue across it as fast as she could. The keeper climbed towards her orgasm and then hurtled down the other side as she cried out in ecstasy.

“Aliiiii!”

Her body shook and her hips bucked as her muscles contracted. She straightened both legs out, flexing her toes at the same time. She reached down to stop Ali’s hand on the dildo which was slowly moving in and out and pulled her girlfriend up and onto her chest. She wrapped her arms around her sweaty back and held her tightly as her chest heaved and she panted into the brunette’s neck.

“That was amazing” Ashlyn panted out and kissed her girlfriend’s cheek. “I fucking love you so much Ali.”

Ali smiled against the blonde’s neck and kissed it as she caught her own breath.

“I love you too.”

They stayed like that for several minutes just enjoying being so close. 

“Can you take it out for me? I don’t want you to move though, I want to hold you some more.”

Ali reached down and pulled the dildo out of the keeper and brought it up to her own lips so she could lick it clean. Ashlyn watched her and swallowed hard, starting to get turned on again. When she was done Ali dropped the toy next to them on the bed.

“I’m sor...”

“Don’t you even think about apologizing for what you just did to me Alexandra Krieger.”

The brunette giggled and kissed the keeper’s neck and jaw and finally her mouth.

“Hey, I want to suck your end, where is it?” she asked.

Ali picked it up and brought it to Ashlyn’s lips and held it for her as she licked all of the brunette’s juices off of it.

“Mmmmmmm so fucking delicious.”

“Jesus that’s hot” Ali breathed out, feeling her core twitch and then get wet.

The keeper let go of the brunette’s back and moved her hands to her amazing ass. She released the dildo with a pop and then licked her lips as she stared back at her girlfriend’s darkening eyes. Ali put the toy back on the bed next to them and groaned when she felt Ashlyn’s strong hands massaging her ass.

“Your ass does things to me baby. Every inch of you is gorgeous but” the blonde sucked in a breath and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the soft, slightly sticky skin at the very bottom of Ali’s ass, “this...fuck, this makes me so fucking hot.” She opened her eyes and felt a gush between her legs and her stomach flip flop.

Ali kissed her passionately. It was hard and deep and desperate. Her own core was throbbing, more than ready for release, and the keeper’s hands were so close to where she really wanted them to be. She felt one of Ashlyn’s long fingers graze the very bottom of her entrance, just near her asshole, and it made her tremble in the blonde’s arms.

“Can I try our new toy on you, sexy?” the keeper asked in a sultry, suggestive voice.

The brunette could barely speak she was so turned on. She unconsciously bit her bottom lip and nodded her head as a small whimper escaped her throat.

“Will you get on your hands and knees for me baby?” Ashlyn purred as she ran her hands up and down both of Ali’s sides.

They locked eyes and the brunette saw something different in Ashlyn’s dark hazel orbs. It wasn’t new, she’d seen it before but she couldn’t place exactly when. But it was a fiery, erotic stare that made Ali gulp and then shiver in anticipation. The keeper wordlessly slid out from underneath the brunette as soon as Ali lifted her weight off of her. The brunette swallowed again, her mouth suddenly dry, and crawled a few feet up towards the edge of the bed. Ashlyn picked up the dildo and squeezed some of the strawberry flavored lube onto the thick, wearer’s end. Ali got into position on her hands and knees and looked over her shoulder to watch her girlfriend who was kneeling on the bed behind her.

“This is thicker than I usually like so I want to make sure I lube it up good.” 

She finished rubbing with the lube and spread her legs out as she knelt so she could insert the dildo into her own center. It was a tight fit but Ashlyn was hoping that would actually help her hold it in place. She thought that might have been why Ali had a hard time keeping it in. The brunette was slightly bigger so there was more room for it to move around inside her. The keeper slowly pushed the toy inside, pausing once and twisting it slightly before pushing it all the way in. She exhaled, not even realizing she had been holding her breath. Ali watched the whole thing, mesmerized and hazy with desire.

“Fuck Ash” she said and swallowed hard again.

“Are you ready for me? Do you want me to use the lube on your end?” Ashlyn asked as her breath caught at the sight of Ali’s voluptuous ass just waiting for her.

“Yeah, I’m ready babe.” Ali answered but her voice sounded strangled.

The keeper smirked when she recognized the choked sound of lust in her girlfriend’s words. She moved right behind the brunette and ran her hands up and down her thighs, inside and out, squeezing her ass again and humming her approval.

“Mmmmmm you look fucking amazing. I have to have a little taste first” she licked her lips and brought her face down to Ali’s pussy, moaning as she felt the juices coat her nose and chin. “Fuck you taste so good.”

“Oh my god” Ali groaned out and moved her head back in front of her and closed her eyes. She lowered her upper body down so she was leaning on her elbows and she put her hands over her face for a minute when another gush of passion slipped from her body.

Ashlyn moaned loudly when it hit her lips. She licked it up greedily and hummed into Ali’s folds. The keeper moved her hand through the brunette’s juices and coated the dildo with them, enjoying the movement of the other end inside her own center. She leaned forward and kissed Ali’s ass and then bit it harder than usual causing the brunette to hiss in pain and pleasure when the keeper licked it to soothe the sting. The blonde put her hands on Ali’s hips and squeezed them gently as she got into position with the tip of the dildo poking the brunette’s pussy from behind. Ali’s ass was up in the air and her hips were bent at almost a 45 degree angle with her torso down on her elbows. From that angle Ashlyn could still use her hand to reach around to the brunette’s clit and breasts when she wanted or needed to.

“Fuck” Ali exhaled, blood pounding in her ears already.

The keeper moved one hand back and spread Ali’s lips out and guided the end of the toy into her wet pussy. She felt the thick end press lightly against her own g-spot as it responded to the resistance. Ashlyn closed her eyes for a second to calm herself down. She was so excited to try this but she needed to stay in control.

“You ok baby?” she asked as she reached up and stroked down the brunette’s back and then back up her front to fondle her breasts.

“Yeah babe, just fuck me, please” she pleaded, her voice hoarse with want.

For a few terrifying minutes when Ashlyn had first asked her to get on her hands and knees, Ali had thought the blonde was going to try something with her asshole. She wasn’t really sure what to do but, over the span of the several minutes it took her to get the dildo ready, Ali hadn’t moved away or said anything to stop her girlfriend. The brunette was extremely relieved when Ashlyn pushed the dildo into her vagina and she had surprised herself with how much she trusted her keeper. Now that she didn’t have to worry about that she could just relax and enjoy whatever the blonde had in store for her.

“Oh I’m going to” Ashlyn’s voice was low and thick. “I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk right tomorrow.”

She rammed the dildo all the way into Ali’s sopping wet pussy and shuddered when she felt the intense pressure inside her own core. The brunette gasped and squealed a little bit but then groaned out a deep, rolling moan. Ashlyn pulled almost all the way out and pushed back in, not quite as hard, trying to get a feel for the size and length of the toy before she started thrusting in earnest. There wasn’t too much friction. Ali was really wet and the dildo was a little too narrow for her. But it would have to do for the moment. The keeper bent over and placed kisses down her girlfriend’s spine as she made a few more tentative strokes with the dildo. She straightened up and secured Ali’s hips and, with a smirk on her face that nobody could see, she started to thrust. Ali moaned and dropped the top of her head down onto the bed with her eyes closed.

“Oh yeah, unnhhhh. Feels good Ash.”

The keeper moved faster, loving the sound of their flesh slapping against each other every time she pushed all the way in and pulled Ali’s hips tight against her own. That position was turning the blonde on so much. She loved the brunette’s ass and to have it right there in front of her like that made her so wet she thought the thick end of the dildo might be slipping a bit. The only thing she regretted was not being able to see her girlfriend’s face. That’s why the bathroom vanity position was so amazing, she just realized. The mirror allowed her the very best of both worlds. She had Ali’s gorgeous ass right where she wanted it and she could also see her beautiful face when she came.

“Fuck this is hot” Ashlyn practically yelled. “You are fucking incredible Al.”

She increased her pace again, getting a good rhythm going. Ali gave herself totally to the blonde, letting her pull her where she wanted her. She couldn’t believe how exciting it was to be so exposed and open. She couldn’t imagine doing that with anyone other than Ashlyn. She felt her orgasm starting to take shape deep inside. Everything was so sexy, the sound of the keeper pumping inside her, the feel of her long fingers grabbing at her flesh, the faint strawberry smell from the lube mixed with both of their dripping pussies.

“Fuck! Yes babe. Unnnnhhhh” she shouted and moaned.

Hearing the excitement in the brunette’s voice triggered another level of passion in the keeper. She was sweating a little bit and she could feel Ali’s walls starting to tighten around the dildo. She looked down and almost came herself at the sight of the deep purple shaft sliding in and out of her girlfriend’s dripping center. It was covered with Ali’s juices and lube and it glistened in the split second it was visible before it disappeared between her folds again. The pressure on her g-spot felt unbelievable and she was close to coming herself. Ashlyn felt Ali’s legs start to shake a little bit and they spread out a little wider, struggling to support the weight and the activity. She didn’t want the brunette’s legs to give out before she brought her over the edge.

“Jesus Ali, you feel so good. I love holding you like this” she said hoarsely.

She could see the slight sheen of sweat breaking out on the brunette’s back too. She missed her face. She missed her breasts. God she loved this woman. Ashlyn took her right hand and stretched it up to play with Ali’s breasts for a minute. Her nipples were already stiff as her breasts bounced with their movements. The keeper pinched her nipple and heard the brunette gasp and moan again. She moved her hand back to Ali’s hip to correct the rhythm and get them back on track again. 

“Mmmmmm, yeah baby, fuck me so good. Fuck, Ash...”

Ali’s words were slurred and thick and her walls were clenching around the dildo and squeezing it hard, looking for more friction. 

“You ready to come for me now?” Ashlyn asked provocatively as she squeezed Ali’s hips and kept thrusting fast and deep.

“Unnnhhh, yeah...” the brunette was almost grunting she was so far gone.

Ashlyn took her right hand again and moved it to Ali’s clit. It was so nice and wet and swollen and the keeper circled it a couple of times as her girlfriend gasped and hissed at the contact.

“Yesssssss. Oh yeah. Mmmmm...”

The blonde leaned forward and licked up Ali’s spine as she started to flick her clit. The brunette felt like someone lit a firecracker inside her body. That old electricity that ran so strong between them fired up her spine and shot through her limbs making them jump and twitch a bit. Ashlyn kept thrusting and held the brunette to her as tightly as she could with her left hand still on Ali’s hip. She felt the brunette’s walls clamp down around the toy and it became much harder to move. When she did move she felt the thick end pushing inside her own pussy, using the tight center of her girlfriend to her own advantage.

“Oh yeah baby, come for me now” Ashlyn urged as she increased the pressure and speed of her fingers on her girlfriend’s clit.

She could feel Ali losing control of her legs as they slid wider and her torso dropped lower. The keeper bent all the way over the brunette’s back, pressing her erect nipples into it and sliding them back and forth. She moved her left hand to her girlfriend’s nipples and starting rolling and pinching them while her other hand continued to work on her clit. She kept thrusting too but it was all starting to fall apart with Ali’s body giving out and the blonde’s hands busy elsewhere. Ashlyn brought her lips to the back of the brunette’s neck and bit down.

“Oh Fuck!” Ali shouted as she came loudly. “Goddamn fucking yes!”

Her body shook as the intense orgasm possessed it and she collapsed onto her stomach, twitching and jerking the whole time. Ashlyn stayed inside her and went with her to the mattress. She held her tightly, wrapping her arms around her chest and waist and rolled them onto their left sides as Ali rode out her orgasm. The keeper moved the dildo in and out by rocking her hips up and against the brunette’s sexy ass. Ali’s body was hot and sweaty and her walls were still clenched tightly around the toy inside her. Every time Ashlyn rocked her hips she felt a twinge in her core. She was so close to her own release, but she could wait. It wasn’t about her at that moment.

“I love you Al, so fucking much” she murmured into the brunette’s neck as she sucked on the soft skin there.

Ali’s body was still twitching a little bit but she was mostly done riding her wave. She reached back behind her with her right arm and squeezed her right hand between their two bodies, fingers searching for her girlfriend’s sensitive clit. Ashlyn let out a guttural groan when she felt the brunette’s strong fingers start to move against it. Ali rubbed the keeper’s clit while the blonde kept rocking her hips.

“Oh fuck” Ashlyn said in a mangled groan as she came hard after only a few more minutes. 

She bucked against Ali as the orgasm ripped through her. Her arms and legs thrashed around, gripping the brunette as if she could somehow keep the blonde afloat. Ali couldn’t stand the dildo inside her sensitive center another second. She moved her fingers down from Ashlyn’s clit to the base of the toy and arched her back as she pushed it out of her. She felt the keeper release it too.

“Out, take it out” she instructed in a strained voice.

Ali wrapped her hand around the toy and pulled it out of her girlfriend. It was much more difficult to slide out than her end had been. She felt the blonde’s arms squeeze her tightly again and Ashlyn buried her head into the brunette’s neck with a gentle kiss. 

“You ok babe?” Ali asked softly as they lay there together trying to catch their breath.

“So much more than ok” the blonde panted out. “Thank you. I’m sorry if I harshed your vibe there at the end. You didn’t have to. I could have waited.” She spoke in short sentences around big breaths.

“I get so turned on when you come Ashlyn, I swear I don’t know how we ever make it out of bed sometimes” Ali chuckled and reached back with her right hand to caress the back of her girlfriend’s head.

“I know, it’s crazy. It’s just one constant turn on for me with little areas of maybe a tiny bit less turned on.” Ashlyn laughed and kissed Ali’s neck, working her way up towards her ear. “Damn that felt good.”

“That felt fucking awesome Ash” Ali countered. “I don’t know how you do what you do but, baby, you can do it to me anytime.”

“Was that ok like that? Did it feel good? The dildo is pointed up a little bit to help hit your sweet spot from the front position. But from the back it points the wrong way so I don’t think I got your g-spot at all.”

“It felt great. I thought it was going to be too long for me but either you figured that out or I got used to it. I don’t know. But it was awesome honey” Ali enthused and rolled over in Ashlyn’s arms, tired of not being able to see anything. “I missed you though. I missed seeing you.”

Ashlyn leaned forward and kissed her slowly and deeply. They were holding each other close again, legs tangled and arms softly touching and stroking shoulders and cheeks.

“I know. Me too” Ashlyn grinned at her girlfriend from an inch away. “It was great for me because I got to see so much of you, and your delicious ass” she gulped and closed her eyes reverently, “well, you know what that does to me. But I wanted to see your beautiful face.”

They kissed again, another languid one that left them both a little breathless.

“When you fucked me from behind in the bathroom that time I was able to watch you in the mirror and that was unbelievable. That was so hot Ash...”

“Yes! I was thinking the exact same thing. We’ll have to figure something out for that because I loved that position tonight, but I want to see your face next time” the keeper agreed and ran her hand down Ali’s side and rested it on her hip.

“How did you keep it inside you so much better than me?” Ali asked what must have been bugging her for several minutes.

Ashlyn kissed her softly and licked across her lips as she pulled back to answer her.

“Well it was a different position for starters and, really, I think that had a lot to do with it. Also that thick end was really thick for me so it didn’t have a lot of room to move around inside me. I think that helped too.” The keeper tried not to grin at how adorable her girlfriend was being as she listened like a student in a classroom trying to figure out what she had done wrong. “But it was hard to do. I can’t imagine doing it the way you did honey. Honestly, I don’t think I could have kept in inside me like that.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better, and I appreciate it, but I’m just trying to figure it out for next time. I’m not upset or anything” Ali tried to explain. “I was wondering if I could keep it in better if I was on my back and you were on top of me...”

“Oh I get it” the keeper started to tease her girl. “You want me to ride you? Is that it?” She smirked and quirked an eyebrow at the brunette. “Maybe you are a pillow princess after all.” 

“It’s just an idea, that’s all” Ali said, blushing slightly but smiling at her keeper.

Ashlyn gazed at the love of her life and silently thanked God for the millionth time for letting them get together. 

“Let’s take a little water break and then give it a try” she said with a flirty wink and another kiss.

“I love you Ash” Ali breathed out as their lips separated, her eyes still closed and her heart unbelievably full.


	31. Gatsby

The rest of their vacation week flew by. They drove down to visit Deb in Miami Thursday morning and stayed with her for two nights. 

“Oh man, this bed” Ashlyn chuckled as she climbed into the bed in the guest room at Deb’s house Thursday night. “I had some very very dirty thoughts about you the last time I was in this bed.” She looked suggestively at her girlfriend who had just closed the bedroom door behind her.

“Oh really?” Ali quirked an eyebrow at the blonde as she walked towards the bed.

“Really. Didn’t you? After our New Year’s Eve kiss? Nothing?”

The brunette laughed at her beautiful girlfriend as she got into the bed on her own side.

“Of course I did. That’s all I did for the entire month of January” Ali answered as she set the alarm on her phone, put it on the nightstand and took her glasses off.

“Good, I was afraid I was the only one” Ashlyn grinned and reached for the brunette.

Ali snuggled into the keeper’s side and met her lips with a slow kiss. 

“What I remember most about this bed was waking up New Year’s Day in your arms and never wanting it to end” the brunette said softly as she curled herself around Ashlyn’s side and lay her head on her left shoulder.

“God yes. Me too. That was the best feeling in the world” the blonde agreed eagerly. “And then you bolted” she laughed and kissed Ali’s forehead. “Did you have another sex dream about me or something princess?”

“No. I was wide awake, before you even woke up. But once you started nuzzling into the back of my neck, unnh” she grunted. “That was all she wrote.”

“What do you mean?”

“All of a sudden I realized that there was a lot of you that was touching me and I started to get really turned on. Then you moved closer and I could feel your boobs in my back and I just about came right then and there” the brunette explained with a roll of her eyes as she squeezed her girlfriend tight.

“That’s why you jumped out of bed so fast” the blonde nodded and grinned. “Probably a good thing though. How would we have explained to your mom that we were just going to stay in bed all day and, you know, spoon – platonically.” They both laughed at how obvious their attraction had been to everyone around them.

Friday they spent the day with Deb and Mike on one of their friends’ big boats. They did it all. The day started early with some snorkeling and then progressed to one of the many small islands off of the coast of Miami. They tied up and Mike and his rich buddy fished for a couple of hours on the other side of the island while Ashlyn and Ali rented jet skis and rode around. Honestly, they raced. Deb and her three friends drank and watched the women instead of the men because who the hell liked to watch fishing? At one point Deb and one of her friends joined in and Ashlyn and Ali doubled up so they didn’t have to waste time renting another machine. Deb cackled as the two younger women tried to determine who would drive the jet ski and who would be the passenger. 

“Oh Ashlyn, good luck honey” Deb laughed as she watched her daughter try to use her best pout to sway the keeper. 

But to her surprise, the blonde held strong and impressed Deb by withstanding the persuasive efforts of her girlfriend. Ali enjoyed sitting close and holding on to her keeper as they raced across the waves. She even got a little bit of payback by moving one hand low in Ashlyn’s lap and teasing her mercilessly with her fingers over the crotch of the blonde’s thin board shorts.

The next stop was a restaurant that you could tie up to a little farther south down the coast, heading toward the keys. The guys were thrilled to bring the fish they had just caught and have it prepared for them by the restaurant. That was the claim to fame for that particular establishment. Of course they had a full menu in case you didn’t catch anything or hadn’t tried to. They ate and drank their fill and then got back on the boat for the rest of the afternoon. Another snorkeling stop was next but some of the ladies took a little nap instead of getting into the water. Ali and Ashlyn held hands as they explored the little reef that was below them. They were both surprised at how strenuous the snorkeling was. Ashlyn hadn’t been snorkeling for years and Ali had never been before. Deb playfully, but wisely, reminded them that muscles don’t float. When they were tired of snorkeling they took the boat up to another good spot for fishing. That time some of the women joined the men and caught some nice fish. Deb’s friend took the boat around to the other side of the small island where they could swim and float and enjoy the big inflatable slide that attached to the side of the boat. They finished their glorious boating day at another tie up restaurant on their way back up the coast. 

As they slowly made their way back to the marina they had started from, Ashlyn was listening to literal fish stories near the stern with some of the men and the women who had dropped lines at the last fishing spot. Ali and her mom were at the bow of the boat, relaxing with cocktails and admiring the beautiful evening and the spectacular scenery. Some of the mansions they passed were unbelievably huge and magnificent. Mother and daughter sat side by side enjoying the breeze in their faces as they talked.

“So are you ready for next week?” Deb asked cautiously.

She had spoken with her daughter over the phone several times about her fears and about what had happened at her birthday with the hiccup in the big office reveal. Deb had died a little bit for Ashlyn in those agonizing few moments. But she knew that something very important had to be going on inside her daughter for her to not say yes right away. She could practically see the battle being waged between Ali’s ears that evening in the new office.

“Yeah, I’m more stressed about getting everything set up with work so I can just get the office up and running. We’re leaving the office at my house set up and fully functional until the last minute and then the next Saturday we’ll pack it all up and get it set up over the weekend. Then my IT guy at work will do his voodoo to it Tuesday morning, hopefully, and I’ll be good to go.” Ali explained the logistics, knowing that wasn’t what her mom was really interested in.

“And how are you doing with it? It’s ok to be scared honey. But you can’t let your fear stop you.”

“I know mom” Ali began with the intention of just glossing over the subject like she usually would have done. But then she remembered the concern on her dad’s face as he talked with her that night at her birthday party. The brunette closed her eyes for a minute and took a deep breath.

“I’m seeing a therapist to make sure I stay good about everything” she admitted quietly, keeping her eyes on the shoreline, head slightly turned to her left.

Deb was sitting to her right and Ali was thankful that she could at least look a little bit away from her mother’s watchful gaze.

“I think that’s terrific sweetheart” Deb said genuinely and patted her daughter’s thigh next to her. “Very smart honey” she continued, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice. “And do you think it’s helping?”

Ali put her hand on top of her mother’s and squeezed it, then left it there.

“I’m not sure yet, but it can’t hurt, right?”

“No, it certainly can’t.” Deb was quiet for a minute as she tried to decide how much to say to her brave but still a little broken girl. “You know your father told me about your talk with him and he cried like a baby.”

“He did?” Ali questioned, turning her head sharply to look into her mother’s concerned face.

“Mm-hmm” Deb nodded and looked seriously at her daughter. “He did. He felt so out of his depth with you and he was worried that he hadn’t said the right thing and he even wondered if he should have gone up there to talk to you in the first place.” Deb spoke slowly and clearly, still unsure if she was breaking too many privacy rules with her ex-husband. Ali held her hand instead of just resting hers on top of her mom’s hand and waited for Deb to continue. The older woman cleared her throat. “It was so hard for us watching you go through everything with Emily. We had already been through every emotion you can think of with your leg and your heart and then Germany...” she sighed heavily and squeezed her daughter’s hand. “And when everything happened with her well, it just about killed your father. Me too, really. It just was too much. And as helpless as we felt before, well it just felt twice as bad because we already thought we were watching out for you more than we normally would. Boy were we wrong” she chuckled sadly.

“I’m sorry mom...”

“Baby girl, you don’t have anything to be sorry for. The only reason I’m telling you this is because we’re not letting it happen again. We’re done being nice and distant about your love life. We promised each other that we would get more involved next time, no matter what. That’s why I’m so proud of your dad for talking with you that night. He was so far out of his comfort zone” she laughed and smiled which made Ali grin too. “But he did it. And from what he told me I think he did a pretty good job.”

“He was great. He was just like he always was about soccer or school. He was strong, serious, quiet but always still pushing me towards the right thing without making me feel pushed. He helped me a lot that night” Ali explained, looking back towards the shore. “I should tell him that.”

“Oh I’m not here fishing for compliments for your dad” Deb said quietly. “But I’m sure he’d appreciate hearing that from you honey.”

“Mattie, that’s my therapist, she says my fear is like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Like, there’s nothing to really be afraid of with Ashlyn so I’m making something to be afraid of. It’s some sort of self-defense thing my brain is doing to protect myself.”

“And what do you think about that?”

“It makes total sense. I don’t get what part of my brain is doing it, if I did I’d get it cut out” she chuckled self-consciously. “And as much as I hate going backwards and talking about Emily again now that I finally feel like myself, I understand that something in there needs to get finished or closed or whatever so I can move forward with Ashlyn and not be afraid.”

“That’s a lot honey. But I know you can do it.” Deb squeezed her hand again, thankful that Ali was still letting her hold it. They were both watching the shoreline pass by them. “I’m so proud of you Alex.”

//

Saturday morning they made the three hour drive back to Satellite Beach to help make sure everything was ready for Chris and Beth’s party that night. Both Ashlyn and Ali had been to jack and jill wedding showers and baby showers before, but never a dry one. Beth and Chris were both recovering alcoholics but they encouraged their friends and family to drink if they wanted to. But nobody felt like it was the right thing to do so the whole party was alcohol-free.

There were about twenty people there in addition to the Harris contingent. Ali didn’t know any of them and had only seen a couple of them once before on a previous visit. She barely knew Beth so she didn’t expect to know a lot of the guests. She didn’t care. She was happy just to be with Ashlyn for the night. It was a hot August Saturday night and they were gathered in the stuffy VFW hall in Satellite Beach. There were folding tables with aluminum folding chairs set up throughout the room and the air conditioning just barely worked. The bridal party had done a good job of decorating the outdated space with table cloths and centerpieces on each table. There were streamers and other fun decorations hanging everywhere and someone had set up speakers so the pre-arranged playlists would be ready when needed. Music from the first list was already filling the room. A long table had been set up down the side of the room with different appetizers and snacks for the guests. And they had decided not to go with a big bowl of punch for fear somebody not thinking might spike it and ruin the night, and possibly much more, for a lot of people.

Ali couldn’t help comparing it to Sydney’s wedding shower which had been held in a private room at a hotel in Boston. There had been nice linen tablecloths and fancy plates with real silverware and waitstaff taking care of their every need. The brunette knew that Ashlyn’s family didn’t have a lot of money and never had. It was a fact that had always been part of Ashlyn’s story but it never seemed to apply to Ashlyn. At least not the Ashlyn that Ali knew. The brunette thought about all of the money the keeper had spent on the big old house and all of the furniture in it and all of the things in it that you need to live in a house like towels, sheets, curtains, dishes, cookware, etc. The keeper had spent her life savings renovating the house and believed it was a good investment. Ali agreed, as had everyone else Ashlyn had talked to before she took the plunge. But as the brunette stood there watching the final touches get put on the VFW hall she couldn’t help but wonder how much of Ashlyn’s extra stress had been caused by spending all of that money. Ali honestly didn’t know and the keeper had never talked about it like that. But that would be just the type of thing she would keep buried deep. The shame she had grown up with because her family relied on food stamps and never had new clothes or the cool new toys would force her to keep those emotions hidden away. The brunette had always known that her parents made good money. They weren’t rich, not by any means. But they certainly weren’t poor. Both her parents had good teaching jobs and with Ken’s coaching contracts they had been comfortably upper middle class. Ali never wanted for anything when she was growing up. She had to work for things and earn them and then take care of them, but she always got what she wanted and needed. Sydney’s situation had been closer to Ashlyn’s but not nearly as bad. But because of Sydney, Ali had grown up with an appreciation for what she had and all that her parents had given her. As she watched her girlfriend talking with her brother and the bridal party she made a mental note to talk to Ashlyn and maybe Mattie about the money thing. She wanted to make sure she and Ashlyn talked all of that out now that they were going to be living together. 

Ashlyn was her brother’s best man but she had told him that if Beth had a problem with it that she would be ok if he chose somebody more traditional.

“Listen sis, if she has a problem with it then she’s not the one for me and I’d rather find out before we get hitched.” 

Chris had joked about it back in March when he had asked her to stand by his side on the most important day of his life. But Ashlyn wanted to make sure so she talked to Beth herself about it. The bride-to-be couldn’t have been nicer or more supportive about it and the keeper knew then that Beth was good enough for her big brother. They each had three attendants and Beth’s sister was the maid of honor. She was a few years older than Beth, who was a couple of years older than Chris, and she was a pretty miserable person. Ann was an elementary school teacher and Ashlyn wasn’t sure if she used all of her good mood up in the classroom every day or what, but she was usually a very negative person. Ann was almost 38 years old and single and pretty overweight. She wasn’t obese or anything but everything was about her weight even if it wasn’t. Anytime somebody made a joke about almost anything Ann turned it into some sort of attack against her for being overweight. Beth was well aware of her sister’s drama but, being the good sister, she still wanted her to be her maid of honor. She had a really good friend from high school and another really good friend she had met in the AA program as her two bridesmaids. Either one of them would have made a much better choice for maid of honor but Beth stuck to her guns. Chris had explained to his sister that family was important to Beth and she was prepared to suck it up for her annoyingly selfish sister to be in the wedding. Ashlyn admired her devotion to family but questioned whether or not it was a good idea to have such a loose cannon involved in all the planning. She promised Chris that she would be on her best behavior with Ann and try and make Beth’s life easier for her.

Ann, to nobody’s surprise, was not thrilled to have Ashlyn be the best man. Chris changed it to best woman and that’s how Ashlyn was going to be listed in the program. The keeper had doublechecked again with Beth to make sure letting her be best woman was worth the trouble.

“Ashlyn, you’re going to be my sister-in-law and I love you and I can’t think of anybody better to stand up with Chris at our wedding. Honestly, I’d trade you for Ann any day, but I’ll deny it so don’t ever repeat that.”

Beth explained that she was hoping the wedding would be some sort of motive for Ann to start making some changes in her life. She wasn’t holding her breath or anything but she was hopeful. Ann was still her sister and she loved her but over the past ten years she had become bitter and resentful of her younger sister, even though Beth was a recovering alcoholic.

“I swear she liked me better as a drunk. It made her feel better about herself or something.”

Beth’s family made it easier to understand why she was so patient and kind with Chris’ sometimes challenging family situation. 

The wedding shower actually went well, despite Ann being just difficult enough to be annoying but not to ruin the party. As they opened gifts it was Beth’s high school friend who kept track of everything so the couple could write their thank yous. Nobody actually said it, but both other bridesmaids and Ashlyn were afraid that Ann might try to sabotage the list to cause her sister embarrassment. And Ann was the one who made a couple of jokes about wishing she could have a drink during certain parts of the festivities. It took every ounce of strength she had for Ali not to go up to Ann and tell her to cut the shit. The keeper had begged Ali to just let it slide for the night. Save the heroics for the actual wedding when Ashlyn would help her carry Ann right the fuck out of the church if necessary.

Ali sat with Gram, Tammye and Mike and tried to enjoy everything else about the party. She decided to focus on how beautiful her girlfriend looked. The bridal party sat together around a table on the other side of the room, opposite the food tables. The other four tables were set up in the middle of the room so everybody could see. Beth and Chris sat next to each other in the middle of the table with Ann next to Beth and Ashlyn next to Chris. The keeper’s long hair was down and straight and she wore khaki colored linen dress pants and a crisp button up dress shirt, short-sleeved and pale blue. She had pearl stud earrings and a pearl necklace right around her collarbone. Her shoes were leather oxfords, white with light brown in the middle, and she had thin suspenders attached to her pants. She wanted to wear a bow tie but it was just too hot so she went with an open collar instead. She had given it to Ali who tucked it into her purse. If they started dancing her long blonde hair would end up on top of her head to try and keep her neck cool. She looked like a character out of ‘The Great Gatsby’. She was gorgeous and she radiated beauty and confidence. Ali couldn’t take her eyes off of the sexy blonde. Gram was seated next to her and she reached over and patted Ali’s arm.

“She does look beautiful up there doesn’t she?” the old woman asked rhetorically, grinning at the brunette. Ali looked down and blushed but then looked back at Gram and winked.

“She sure does.”

Finally, two hours later, the gift opening was complete and they started to have a little bit more fun. They played some party games and everybody seemed to get involved and have fun. When they planned the party Ashlyn and the other attendants had been careful not to make the games or any part of the shower for couples only. It didn’t matter if you were single or in a relationship you could play the games and have fun if you chose to join in. And, obviously, the teams didn’t have to be male/female. The only real rule about the teams was that you had to have the correct number of teammates required for each game. That was it.

The tables from the middle of the room were pushed to either end so there was room to move around but the people who didn’t want to participate could still sit and watch and enjoy. The first game was easy. It was called ‘Musical Partners’ and it was just designed to get everybody up on their feet and mingling a little bit. One person was in charge of the music and controlled the game. Chris’ good friend Malcolm was the funny guy in the room. He made Chris look shy and reserved. Malcolm was put in charge of doing most of the emceeing work for all of the games and he loved it. He used the small microphone and amplifier that came with the VFW and got to work. Beth and Chris each selected one person and those two people moved to the middle of the room and started dancing to whatever song Malcolm played. When the music was randomly stopped or changed the two dancers had to immediately go and bring another dancer to the floor to dance with them. This continued until everyone was on the dance floor. Everyone had fun with the easy ice-breaker. And they all laughed when Chris pulled Gram to the floor with him towards the end and refused to let her go, dancing with her all the way until the end. The dance had started with one of the bridesmaids and one of the groomsmen. Ashlyn got pulled in first and she, of course, went right to her girlfriend when it was time to bring new dancers in. Ali wore a beautiful pale pink sleeveless tank dress that fell just above her knee but had a slit on each side that came up to mid-thigh. It was also linen and very comfortable, tapered at the waist with a zipper up the back. She wore matching pink sandals and had her dark hair up in a high ponytail with a matching pink ribbon. Her necklace was a simple silver pendant that matched the silver drop earrings and bracelets she wore. They slow-danced together even though the song was much more uptempo. They got razzed by the crowd but they didn’t care. 

“My lord woman, you are gorgeous tonight” Ashlyn complimented the brunette quietly as she held her close.

“You’re one to talk, even Gram caught me drooling over you when we were sitting at the table” Ali laughed softly in her keeper’s ear. “For the record, this is my favorite outfit ever on you babe.”

Far too quickly the song stopped and they had to go find new dancers. Ashlyn gave the brunette a quick kiss on the lips and turned to pull her mom onto the floor while Ali went and got Mike. In another half hour the whole group, even Ann, was dancing and having a good time. It had been Chris who had pulled Ann and Beth had winked her gratitude at him from across the room.

The second game was called Mix and Match and it was for teams of two. There was a laundry basket filled with all sorts of oversized and silly clothing, both men’s and women’s clothes. Everything from pantyhose and flip flops to neckties and rain hats were included, an equal number of male and female clothes. The team would start, holding hands, at the opposite end of the room from the laundry basket. One person was in charge of running the stopwatch. When they said go the team ran, still holding hands, to the laundry basket and got dressed in every piece of clothing in the basket. The laundry basket clothes went on over whatever the team was already wearing, which is why the emphasis was on larger sized clothes. One teammate wore the male clothes and the other teammate wore the female clothes. As soon as every article of clothing was on, the teammates held hands again and ran back to the starting line. The team with the fastest time won the prize.

When Ali had heard about the game from her girlfriend while they were planning the party she said she thought it was pretty sexist and questioned whether or not they should play it. Ashlyn told her plainly that she had already vetoed a bunch of other games that were way worse than Mix and Match. She rattled off the names like ‘Find a Man’ and ‘Your Husband’s Kiss’ to prove her point. Yes Ali was right. The game was sexist. But they had changed it so anybody could wear either the ‘male’ clothes or the ‘female’ clothes instead of the original restrictions of the man had to wear the woman’s clothes and vice versa. 

Malcolm wisely recruited Ann to be the stopwatch operator. That way she got to be a big part of it but nobody had to worry about teaming up with her. She made a big production out of being selected and taking her spot at the end of the table by Malcolm. Everybody else sat or stood around the tables at the end with the laundry basket so they could get a good view of the dressing shenanigans. The teams were made by the people who wanted to participate and most of them were male/female. When it was Ashlyn’s turn she walked to the starting line with Beth’s friend from AA and held her hand. Once Malcolm yelled ‘Go!’ they ran to the laundry basket and started separating the clothes out into two piles, male and female. They worked quickly and once everything was sorted they started to put the clothes on. Beth’s friend stepped into a big pair of men’s pants and a button up shirt with a necktie and a belt. There were red, white and blue suspenders, a suit jacket, a straw hat, big work boots and even a pair of huge white underpants. It didn’t matter what order you went in, you just had to get them on. Ashlyn set to work pulling a huge pair of pantyhose up her legs as everybody laughed hysterically. She had kicked off her shoes – that was the only article of your own clothing you could remove so you could wear whatever other shoes were in the basket. She shimmied into an oversized housecoat type dress and threw an apron over her head and tied it around her waist. She hadn’t noticed it yet, but her brother had added in something special to the laundry basket for his baby sister. It wasn’t until after she had put the pashmina over her shoulders and pinned the pillbox hat to the top of her head that she saw the lacy red g-string. She knew it hadn’t been in any of the other laundry baskets. There had been five teams that had already gone and there were two baskets and they switched out a few articles of clothing each time so it wasn’t as predictable. The blonde raised her eyebrows and added the sexy g-string, oversized as everything else, to her outfit. Chris cracked up laughing behind her and she yelled out a threat to him as she reached for her teammate’s hand and ran with her back to the finish line. Even with the extra article of clothing and the delay for the surprise they had done well. They were in second place.

As Ashlyn took the clothes off and laughed with Beth’s friend she heard Ann’s voice from the other end of the room and saw her brother drop his head.

“I’m just saying, it’s not really fair because she’s a woman and knows how to wear all of those things even though she chooses not to. It’s just not really fair.”

Beth shot her sister a stern look and was about to open her mouth when the keeper spoke instead.

“It’s a fair point. How about you add 20 seconds to each team that has two guys or two girls or whatever it is that makes it unfair? That’ll work, right?”

Ashlyn was trying to make the problem go away as quickly as it had arisen. She was pissed off that Ann was such a fucking bitch but she just wanted the trouble gone. Ali heard the bite in her girlfriend’s voice when not too many other people would have. Of course Chris and her immediate family heard it too. The brunette stood up and was about to add her two cents when Ashlyn caught her eye and wordlessly asked her to sit back down.

Malcolm came to the rescue by saying that Ashlyn’s solution seemed more than fair and instructed Ann to add the extra time to their score.

“Don’t think I’m going to forget your little extra fun garment Bubba” the blonde said to her brother as she walked back towards one of the tables and picked up her bottle of water. “You won’t know what or how or when, but I’ll get you back.” She gave him a devilish smirk and he gulped, knowing she would indeed get him back.

Two teams later it was Ali and Tammye holding hands at the starting line. They raced down and attacked the laundry basket. They dressed as fast as they could, Tammye in the women’s outfit and Ali in the men’s. Ali laughed out loud when she saw the red g-string in Tammye’s pile.

“Backfired on you there didn’t it Chris?!” the brunette teased ruthlessly as everybody else laughed.

After they finished the race and were walking back up towards the tables Ali spoke again, with some snark in her voice that was unmistakable to those that knew her.

“Don’t forget to add in our extra time Ann.”

Tammye winked at her and grinned as they took their seats again. The winners with the best time turned out to be Beth and Chris and the entire bridal party immediately accused them of practicing for weeks to get ready.

The next game was the pudding race, which was going to be the ice cream race but when they discovered how warm it was inside the hall they realized the ice cream would melt too quickly. They got into teams of two with one team member at one end of the room blindfolded. The other team member had their hands tied behind their backs and had to take the handle of a spoon in their mouth and scoop out some pudding from their bowl of pudding. Then they had to walk or run to their blindfolded teammate and feed them the spoonful of pudding, still using only their mouth on the spoon handle. The first team to completely empty their bowl of pudding won the prize.

Ashlyn had purposefully avoided being teammates with Ali for much of the night. There were lots of single people there and she wanted to make sure they were included and participated in the games. Ali understood and followed her lead. But the keeper walked right over to Ali, grabbed her by the hand and led her to the pudding table where the other teams were assembling. After a couple of minutes to strategize about who should be the one to carry and feed the pudding and who should be the blindfolded one to eat the pudding, Ali walked down to the other end with the rest of the blindfoldees.

“Oh geez, this should be good” Tammye chuckled and elbowed Mike in the ribs. “You watch, these two are going to wipe the floor with everybody else” she said referring to their daughter and Ali. 

Gram agreed and laughed as she watched Ashlyn trying to figure out the best way to carry the spoon handle, between her teeth or just between her lips. Before long everything was ready. There were eight teams total. Chris and Beth were a team and one of the groomsmen had asked Ann to be his teammate and everyone was shocked, but happy, when she had agreed. The rest of the bridal party participated too, one of Chris’ other buddies pairing up with Beth’s friend from high school. The bowl of chocolate pudding was bigger than a finger bowl but not as big as a cereal bowl. Malcolm would be the one to determine when the bowl was empty. 

Ashlyn looked at her girlfriend standing in the middle of the row, between Beth and Ann, and felt good about their decision. The deciding factor had been the keeper’s height. She thought it would be easier for her to bend down and feed the spoon to Ali than it would have been for the brunette to try and reach up to get to her mouth. With the spoon in her mouth she couldn’t talk so Ali wouldn’t have been able to ask the blonde to bend down if necessary. Their plan was solid.

When the race began it was a mess. Half of the spooners dropped the pudding off their spoons before they got ten feet away from their bowls. Every time a spoonful was dropped another one was added to their bowls. Ashlyn was the first one to reach her partner, pudding still in tact on the spoon. Chris was close on her heels as was Ann’s partner. None of them had dropped their first spoonful and lost time going back for more. The keeper grunted at Ali to let her know she was there and the brunette opened her mouth wide. Ashlyn steered the spoon between Ali’s lips and waited for those lips to close around it and take the pudding off the spoon. The brunette clamped down so hard on the spoon that she pulled it out of her girlfriend’s mouth and giggled. Everybody else laughed too. Ashlyn rolled her eyes and grinned like an idiot at her beautiful brunette and her talented mouth. She bit down again on the spoon handle and Ali released it. After four more laps it started to get difficult to get the pudding onto the spoon as the bowl got emptier. There was no relief offered by Malcolm. He told the teams to just keep working on it. Ashlyn started spending more time collecting the pudding and making sure she had a full spoon. Chris did the opposite. He took a swipe into the pudding bowl, got whatever he could and then took off towards Beth at a sprint. Ali and Beth couldn’t figure out what the deal was. All they knew was that Chris was coming back more often than Ashlyn. The idea that her brother might actually be ahead of her almost drove Ashlyn to adopt his approach. But she stuck to her guns and kept working her plan. Malcolm monitored both bowls and Chris kept whining and groaning at him that his bowl was empty and the emcee kept telling him it wasn’t. Finally he declared that Ashlyn’s bowl was empty and all she had to do was feed it to Ali for the win. Chris had just arrived back at his bowl and was trying to scrape the last of his pudding onto his spoon. Malcolm announced that his bowl was empty too and the race was really on. The keeper was over half-way to Ali when Chris started running towards Beth. In truth, the blonde had gotten a little cocky and strutted boastfully down the homestretch until everyone in the room started screaming at her to hurry up. Ali started cheering her girl on, not knowing how close she was. The keeper skidded to a halt in front of the brunette and grunted loudly again. Ali opened her mouth wide and sucked the pudding off of the spoon. Ashlyn pulled the spoon back out of her girlfriend’s mouth and turned to show it to Malcolm just as Chris put his spoon into Beth’s mouth.

“And Ashlyn and Ali have won it by a nose!!” Malcolm exclaimed as everybody cheered. “What a close race! That was incredible!” he cheered into the microphone.

Ali lifted the blindfold up onto her forehead, took the spoon from the keeper and gave her a big hug and a kiss. “You did it babe!” The brunette untied Ashlyn’s hands and they hugged again.

“Well I should hope you could beat me. You’re only a professional athlete!” Chris teased but she knew he was really pissed about losing.

“Yeah, tell yourself whatever you need to hear Bubba. That’s alright. We’ll be celebrating over here in the winner’s circle.” She picked Ali up around the waist and spun her around as they both laughed.

As the party wound down the couples danced together to the more romantic playlist. As much as the blonde had loved beating Chris at that silly pudding race, the dancing was her favorite part of the whole evening. Holding Ali in her arms as they moved together to the music felt so wonderful. Ashlyn finally understood for the first time in her life what the saying ‘walking on air’ meant. She was so happy and at peace that she honestly wondered what was keeping her tethered to the earth. 

“I can’t wait until it’s our turn” she whispered as she gently kissed Ali’s ear.

“Me either Ash” Ali replied softly as she played with the hair at the back of her girlfriend’s neck. “Let’s not wait too long, ok?”

“You won’t get any argument from me princess.”


	32. Packing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning.

And just like that their vacation and the Olympic break were both over. They flew home on Sunday afternoon. Ali spent the entire day Monday in her office at her house trying to get caught up from her time away. And Ashlyn went back to training Tuesday morning. They had a lot of great memories and some really good pictures and even some half decent tans to show for their time away. Ashlyn was as rested and relaxed and refreshed as she could ever remember. She had slacked off a bit on her training diet but she had tried to get back on track the last week in Florida. And she was old enough and smart enough to know that she needed to keep working out even during the break or she would pay for it once the team got back to training. The keeper was chomping at the bit for the Breakers away game against Kansas City Sunday night. She felt like the team had just started to turn some sort of corner right before the break and she was eager to get everyone back together and see what kind of finish they could put on their terrible season. There were six games left.

Ali had returned to a shitstorm of her own at work. While she was on vacation a contractor customer of hers had called her and gotten her out of office voicemail. He was the type of contractor who had his own crew and focused on one big custom home at a time. He didn’t take on other projects while he was working on it. If he had a bigger operation and a second crew he could have and would have done that, like Ali’s other customer George did. It was just a business choice that he had made. So he did a big custom home every two years or so. The really big ones sometimes took that long to get completed from start to finish. That meant that Ali’s sales to him were only every two years or so. And in some people’s eyes, at the corporate factory level usually, that meant the customer wasn’t being called on enough and wasn’t buying enough. Ali’s manager knew better, and his manager knew better but the suits at the factory looking at their computer data figured they were the ones that knew better. 

So while Ali was on vacation this customer of hers called her and instead of leaving her a message he called the main number at the showroom because he didn’t want to bother her while she was away. He was looking for a preliminary quote to get started on his next custom home and he had left it too late and needed the quote that week. It wasn’t her fault and he didn’t want to stress her out about it. The builder was being considerate and kind because he knew and liked Ali. The brunette returned to work Monday to find out that her boss’ boss had given that customer away to one of the new guys because he hadn’t bought anything in a couple of years and he thought it was time for some new faces to see if the company could get more sales out of him. Ali was livid. She almost quit on the spot she was so furious. That was the worst thing you could do to a sales rep, just arbitrarily take a customer away from them. And they hadn’t even asked her about it! That was the lowest blow you could give to a salesperson working for you. Ali complained over the phone to her boss and then in writing via email to both her boss and her boss’s boss. She called and spoke with a handful of her colleagues who had been around as long as, or longer than, she had and discovered that the company had been doing this to the veteran sales reps all year. That was just the first time it had happened to Ali.

Typically, if there was a dispute over which rep ‘owned’ a customer the sales manager would call the customer directly and talk with them about who they wanted to work with. When it became obvious to Ali that management wasn’t going to do that she called the customer herself to ask him what was going on. He explained that he was just trying to be nice and not bother her on her vacation and that he wanted to keep working with her. Several frustrating phone calls later Ali was told that the matter was closed and that the new rep was going to keep that customer, at least for that particular project. It was an outrageous decision that went against everything the company had ever done in Ali’s experience. Her boss had even said something to her over the phone about how her focus seemed to have shifted that year. He mentioned her vacation time and that she didn’t seem to be managing her time as well as she used to. 

When Ali Krieger got so upset that she was irate and furious she cried. It drove her crazy because she wasn’t sad or sorry. She was fucking pissed off beyond belief! But that’s what always happened to her. She got so mad and then had to clam up to keep from crying and embarrassing herself. That’s what had happened on that phone call with her boss. She hadn’t taken any extra vacation time or other time off. What? Was she not supposed to take the vacation time that she had earned? What the fuck was he even talking about? Her sales had dropped a little bit compared to the previous year, which is all they ever compared, but she had had one of the best years of her career last year so everybody with a brain knew that this year was probably going to trend down a little bit. But it was just September and the next three months were when at least half of the year’s sales were made. There was time for her to outsell even last year’s numbers as long as you didn’t take her fucking customers away from her. She was furious and she ended up telling her boss in a strangled voice that she had to go and then ended the call. She burst into tears of fury and pounded on her desk so hard that she really thought she had broken a bone in her hand.

Every time she started to calm down she would think of another part of one of the phone calls with her boss and get all fired up again. As she processed everything over the course of the next few hours what really stuck out more than anything else was the complete disrespect they had shown her. She was a fucking President’s Club winner for God’s sake! It was sort of an unwritten rule, it used to be anyway, that in any disagreement or dispute if everything else was equal then the deciding factor would be performance. That meant the better sales rep would get the more favorable decision. And that meant if you’d won the President’s Club you got the benefit of the doubt and the most favorable outcomes, unless you were debating another President’s Club winner. What the hell was happening? Ali moved from being furious and disbelieving to being distraught and inconsolable. And the worst part was that she was so angry and upset that she couldn’t focus on the work she really needed to get done. She didn’t have time for the emotional rollercoaster her company had just launched her down. She did the best she could for the rest of the day. She wisely chose the simple quotes and worked on those so she only needed half of her brain. She knew she couldn’t handle the difficult ones in her current state. They would have to wait some more. She returned her phone calls but didn’t make any new ones because she knew she sounded defeated and pissed off. One of her return calls asked her what was the matter because she didn’t sound like herself and Ali just chalked it up to coming back from vacation.

Sydney came over for dinner and to help with the packing and because she hadn’t seen her bestie in over a week but they didn’t get anything done. The coach listened to the unbelievable story and commiserated with her best friend. She had heard every story possible from Ali about work and her bosses and her co-workers. She knew that had been an unprecedented and underhanded move. She could see that Ali was incredibly upset and didn’t want to add to her distress. But even Sydney knew Ali had just been fucked up the ass by her company. They did that sometimes to under-performing sales reps to get them motivated again, but they had never done it to one of their stars like Ali.

Ashlyn had texted her girlfriend several times during the day but was trying not to bother her. She knew Ali would have a busy and stressful day trying to dig out from vacation. But when she didn’t hear back after dinner she called the brunette to check in. She knew Sydney would be there and that Ali was sleeping in Stoneham that night. That was already the plan. But the keeper needed to hear her voice and tell her that she loved her. The voice she finally heard when Ali answered her phone was broken and devastated. Ashlyn told her that she was on her way. Ali told her not to bother. She knew the blonde had her first training in the morning and she knew that she herself would be absolutely terrible company. Even Sydney had given up earlier than usual when Ali said she just wanted to go to sleep and end the shitty day. But 45 minutes later there was a knock on the door and when Ali opened it her keeper picked her up and held her in her arms as the brunette burst into tears again.

It was only 9pm but that’s how the rest of the night went. They lay on the couch together and Ali ranted and raved and re-lived the whole terrible day while Ashlyn held her and tried to soothe her. The keeper had never seen her girlfriend so upset. Ali was the one who handled that kind of bullshit by going out and getting the next sale and reminding the bosses who the best sales rep was. And maybe that would happen, but that night the brunette was small and angry and broken and Ashlyn didn’t know what else to do but hold her tight.

//

The rest of the week was a stressful blur for Ali. She worked and dug herself out of the vacation hole all day every day and she packed up her house each evening. She didn’t sleep at the big old house until Thursday night that week. Ashlyn let her stay by herself Tuesday night but then went back Wednesday and brought her dinner and helped her pack and slept over. She did the same thing on Thursday except they drove their two vehicles full of boxes and plastic bags of clothes and sheets and towels and things back to Gloucester. Ali got better every day. The more distance she put between the blow the easier it got for her to get back to her normal good-natured demeanor. She would never forget what her company did to her. Not ever. But she also wasn’t going to let it ruin one of the most exciting times of her life. Fuck them. She would get a new job if she had to. She really didn’t want to do that but she also wasn’t going to stay someplace where they didn’t respect her or appreciate her. Fuck that too.

Ashlyn and Whitney and the rest of the Breakers were scheduled to fly to Kansas City on Saturday afternoon for their Sunday evening game. The keeper had done everything she could to help her girlfriend that week and they had accomplished a lot. Almost everything was packed up in boxes or plastic bags, double bagged of course, just in case, and stacked in Ali’s living room. The only thing they hadn’t touched was the office. And that was going to be a chore. It was really important because Ali couldn’t work without a functioning office but it was also jam packed with all of her work stuff. There were scads of folders and even reference books. She had four bookcases full of books and video games and DVDs and Blu-Rays and all sorts of things. It was her library as well as her office. That room was being saved for next week. 

On Friday evening Ashlyn brought Ali & Sydney dinner and helped them finish packing up the kitchen and dining room things. She was relieved to see that her girlfriend was in a much better mood. Fridays had that effect on her anyway, but the blonde recognized a shift in Ali’s whole vibe. After Sydney left for the night Ali wrapped her arms around the keeper’s neck and gave her a slow, deep kiss.

“I’m sorry I was such a maniac this week. I couldn’t stand myself” she chuckled and leaned her head into Ashlyn’s shoulder. “I don’t know how you could stand to even be near me. Thank you for being here babe. I love you.” 

“Hey, you weren’t that bad. Honestly, I’m amazed at how well you handled all that bullshit Al.” She shook her head and kissed the side of her girlfriend’s head softly. “I’m always impressed by the way you handle yourself, in any situation. Really, you always take the high road and that’s so hard to do.”

“I feel like I wallowed in the mud this time, at least for a few days anyway.” Ali kissed the blonde’s cheek and nuzzled into her neck. “Thanks for letting me do it.”

They finished a few more things and were getting ready to load up the jeep and truck again when Ashlyn hugged the brunette from behind.

“You know...” she began as she kissed the back of Ali’s neck. “There’s a finite amount of time for us to complete the Stoneham portion of our challenge” she purred around brunette locks.

Ali melted into the contact, closed her eyes and covered Ashlyn’s arms with her own.

“What are you talking about babe?” she giggled and then gasped when the keeper bit down on her sensitive skin.

“Well we’ve had sex on your couch and in your chair with the ottoman...”

“Ohhh, I see where you’re going with this now” Ali smiled broadly and pressed her ass back into the blonde’s crotch.

“And we’ve fucked in your bed and on your floor and in your shower and in your kitchen...” Ashlyn moved her hands, one up to cup a perfect breast, and one down to tease Ali’s center over her shorts.

“Fuck Ash” Ali breathed out hotly and moved her arm up over her shoulder to grab a fistful of blonde hair.

“Seems to me” the keeper murmured as she moved her lips up the brunette’s neck to her ear, “we’ve got a whole big bed up there” she licked around the perimeter of Ali’s ear and brought her lips down to the lobe, “that we’ve ignored” she bit Ali’s earlobe and then licked it again, “all fucking year.”

Ali moved them forward two steps, Ashlyn holding tight with her hands still in place, and locked the front door. The blonde moved her left hand down from the brunette’s breast and ghosted a touch up her left side, under her t-shirt, making goosebumps erupt on her tanned skin. Ali whimpered and tried to turn in her girlfriend’s arms but Ashlyn held her tight, working her lips all over her neck again.

“Ash” the brunette sighed as she leaned her head back against the keeper’s shoulder and closed her eyes. She relaxed her body back into the blonde’s in surrender. Ashlyn cupped her core, over her shorts and slid her left hand down to caress the sweet spot by Ali’s left hip. “Jesus” Ali exhaled and shivered. 

“I love you Al” the keeper whispered into her ear with another nibble and lick.

They stumbled up the stairs in the same position but with Ashlyn’s fingers moving to different places. Ali had to use her hands on the steps in front of her and practically crawled her way up. But neither of them wanted to break the contact or stop the keeper’s roaming hands and lips. It was an agonizingly slow ascent accompanied only by the brunette’s gasps and moans. When they finally got to the tiny hall between the two bedrooms at the top of the stairs the cold air from the air conditioner blasting in the guest room felt like a bucket of ice water that had been dumped all over them. 

“And now I remember why the guest room is never really an option” Ashlyn chuckled and shivered from the cold air.

“Let me shut it off” Ali tried to pull away but two strong arms held her in place. “Babe, let me go for a second and then we can get undressed in my room and come back in here when it’s not so cold. It’ll just take a few minutes.”

“But I don’t want to let you go” Ashlyn whined and nuzzled her face into Ali’s warm neck.

“You can come with me” Ali giggled “but it’s colder in there and I don’t think you’ll live, Florida girl.”

The keeper accepted the brunette’s challenge and started moving them forward into the icebox. Ali giggled again and squeezed her girlfriend’s arms that were around her waist as they walked around the foot of the bed and over to the window air conditioner. Ali hit the off button and the room got quiet and still. It was freezing in there but it wouldn’t take long on that hot, humid August night to become inhabitable. The brunette felt Ashlyn’s hard nipples pressing into her back and she bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes. She knew it was from the cold temperature more than any arousal at that point but it still felt incredible. The bed was half covered in piles of clothes that were to be packed into plastic bags and Ali felt the stress of packing threatening to ruin the mood.

“Why don’t you go into my room and get undressed and I’ll come in and get you in a few minutes when it’s warmer in here?” the brunette suggested, bringing one of the keeper’s hands up to her lips and kissing it softly.

“Let me help princess. It’ll go faster” the blonde offered, knowing that her organized and efficient girlfriend was incapable of just pushing everything onto the floor to be dealt with tomorrow. 

“No, I just want to move the piles to the floor, that’s all...”

“But that’s silly. Let’s just pack them in the bags real quick and be done with it. Super efficient.” Ashlyn replied as she released her love and gave her a quick nip on her neck.

“But I don’t want to ruin the mood Ash.”

“Taking ten minutes to pack these clothes is not going to ruin anything honey.” Ashlyn paused as Ali turned in her arms and kissed her slowly. “The subzero temperature already took care of that anyway” the keeper teased and then laughed out loud at her own joke.

Ali laughed too because it was funny and true. She smacked her girlfriend on her arm as she stepped back to get to work.

“Very funny. Jerk.”

“Look, I can see your breath!” Ashlyn joked and laughed again.

Ali cracked up too because it was freezing in that room and nobody could deny it. When she slept in there in the summer, which was only when her mom came to stay with her, she had to bundle up like it was January. There was no argument that it was uncomfortably cold in the room. 

“If you want to see any other parts of me you better zip it and get moving” the brunette teased back, trying to keep a straight face but failing.

Ashlyn picked up the extra blanket that was lying on the end of the bed and wrapped it around her head and shoulders while Ali had her back turned to pick up the plastic bags they would use.

“Ok, I’m ready. Let’s do it” she quipped, waiting for her girlfriend to turn back around and appreciate her silliness.

“Oh my god. You’re such a drama queen” Ali exclaimed with a grin and then tugged the blanket tighter around the blonde’s waist, tucking the ends into her shorts. “Better keep this area warm, wouldn’t want anything wet to freeze” she flirted and ran her hand between Ashlyn’s legs provocatively.

“Hey now, alrighty, let’s get moving then. Nobody wants any frozen short hairs.” 

An hour later they were tangled together under the covers in the guest room trying to catch their breath after round one. 

“Damn baby, I love having sex with you” Ashlyn panted out breathlessly.

“Me too. You make me feel so fucking good. I had no idea it could ever be this good” Ali added, honestly. “Do you, like, do tongue exercises or something? How can you keep doing that for so long?” she chuckled and wrapped her arm around the blonde.

“Your tongue is no joke either. Are we in a skills competition I’m just not aware of or something?” Ashlyn asked and quirked an eyebrow at her beautiful girlfriend.

Ali laughed and her nose crinkled up. “No, God no. I just appreciate what you do to me. No hidden agenda, I promise.”

The keeper rolled over on her side to face Ali and kissed her deeply. “You make me feel like I could fly” Ashlyn whispered against her soft lips. “And it is so sexy how turned on you get when you make me come. God I love that” the blonde groaned at the thought.

Ali brought their lips together in a passionate kiss, but not a frenzied or desperate one. It was slow and deep and sexy. She moved her hand across Ashlyn’s breasts and down her taut stomach, stroking the back of her fingers up and down between her hips slowly. The brunette took Ashlyn’s hand from her hip and pulled it between her legs, shifting her hips a little to open up. She pressed her girlfriend’s hand against her soaking wet folds and gasped at the contact, even though she knew it was coming.

“See what you do to me?” she purred against the keeper’s lips. “You’re so fucking sexy that I can barely control myself while I’m fucking you. It’s a struggle. Every. Single. Time” she placed a hot kiss on Ashlyn’s lips between every word.

The blonde was moaning in response to what her hand and lips were feeling. And what her ears were hearing. How the fuck could one woman be so incredibly sexy? She closed her eyes and felt the blood rushing around her body again. When she felt Ali lift her leg and rest it on top of the keeper’s hip she opened her eyes to see the darkened whiskey ones that were her absolute favorite staring back at her wantonly. 

“Jesus Christ Ali” the blonde gulped hoarsely. 

The brunette removed her own hand from between her legs and slid it up Ashlyn’s body, caressing her side, bicep, and neck on her way to cup her face gently as she kissed her lips again.

“I love you Ashlyn. I love you. I love you so much” Ali whispered emotionally against her lips, between ardent kisses.

The blonde slowly moved her hand through Ali’s slick folds, letting the heel of her palm gently bump against her clit with each long stroke. She wanted to devour her and take her hard and fast right that moment but she fought the powerful urge and kept her movement deliberate and steady. Ali started to move with her in the hopes of finding some more pressure against her clit and inside her pulsing core. She tilted her hips up and inched closer to her girlfriend instinctively.

“Do you want me to fuck you?” Ashlyn asked thickly, her voice low and dark, after she bit down on the brunette’s lip at the end of a kiss.

Ali hissed and sucked in a breath. “Oh yeah” the words dripped from her mouth like honey from a spoon, “fuck me you goddamned sexy beast.”

The keeper felt her own center twinge as her girlfriend’s words lit a fire in her core. She kissed the brunette hard, sucking her tongue into her mouth and biting it as Ali moaned loudly. Ashlyn circled her entrance with her fingers, teasing her as she continued to kiss her deeply. Her tongue explored every part of Ali’s hot, wet mouth while her fingers tapped lightly on her sensitive clit. The brunette writhed and twitched slightly when her bundle of nerves felt any pressure from the keeper.

“Oh you like that, don’t you?” Ashlyn purred seductively. “You’re so wet and ready for me aren’t you baby?”

“Unnhhhh, fuck” the brunette groaned, “so ready baby. Please...”

Ashlyn pushed a finger into her pussy and loved the way Ali tried to pull it in farther with her walls. 

“Oh yes, please Ashlyn, more” the brunette gasped and whined before the keeper licked her bottom lip, then top lip and kissed her hard again. “Mmmmmmmm...” Ali hummed.

The blonde pulled her finger out and circled Ali’s clit a few times before pinching it softly. The brunette’s hips jerked and she groaned into the kiss. Ashlyn broke the kiss and moved her mouth down to her girlfriend’s half-erect nipple as her fingers moved along Ali’s wet folds again. She ran her tongue all around the nipple and then again around the base of her breast. She nipped at the side of it before licking it soothingly. Ali arched her back and pressed her breast further into the blonde’s mouth and held Ashlyn’s head there with her hand.

“Yessssss” she moaned out as the keeper brought her lips back to the nipple and sucked it into her mouth. 

Ashlyn sucked hard and stroked it several times with her strong tongue, feeling it come to full attention and moaning herself. She released it with a pop and admired how red and stiff it was. The blonde put her mouth back around it and blew hot air against it. Then she took her lips away for a second and blew on it again through her lips. The skin on Ali’s chest erupted in goosebumps and the keeper smirked.

“Fuck yes. Oh, yeah” Ali murmured.

Ashlyn pushed two long fingers into the brunette’s center and heard her girlfriend let out a low groan that got louder the whole time her fingers moved. 

“You like my fingers inside you, don’t you?”

“MmmmmmmHmmmmmm” the brunette replied weakly, starting to get lost in the moment.

“What should I do with my fingers Al?” the keeper asked with her lips against the brunette’s other nipple.

“Ash...unnnhhhh. Fuck me, please, fuck me.” Ali’s voice was low and desperate and it hitched at the end as the brunette tried to control it.

“You want me to fuck you with my fingers? Yeah babe? Is that what you want me to do to you?”

It took a minute for Ali to get her mouth to work again she was getting so excited. “Fuck. Me” she groaned out with the last bit of control she had.

The keeper rolled her over onto her back and shrugged the covers off of them. The room was plenty warm and actually starting to get a bit humid. Ashlyn stayed on her left side and lay right up against the brunette’s sexy body. She kept her fingers inside her and her mouth on her nipple the whole time she re-positioned them. Ali brought her left leg up and the blonde hooked her arm around the brunette’s right thigh, trapping it between her arm and her hips. Their skin touched as much as possible all the way up to their shoulders. Ashlyn’s left hand played with Ali’s right breast while the blonde’s mouth worked on her left one.

“Jesus” Ali exhaled, overwhelmed by so much glorious contact with her gorgeous keeper.

The blonde decided she had teased her girl enough. She had been so wet before they even started that it just didn’t seem fair anymore. Ashlyn grazed the brunette’s nipple with her teeth, causing Ali to arch her back again. She moved her fingers around inside the brunette’s drenched pussy and moaned against Ali’s soft fleshy breast. 

“Yes, please babe, yes.”

“I’m going to make you come now. My sexy siren.” Ashlyn leaned up and kissed her passionately while the brunette tried to get her arms to hold on to some part of her girlfriend. She finally settled for her right hand haphazardly rubbing Ashlyn’s back and her left hand occasionally touching her girlfriend’s chest.

The keeper began thrusting, slowly, in and out of Ali’s pulsing pussy. The brunette was so wet that there wasn’t too much friction yet. 

“Fucking hell you’re wet. So fucking wet for me.”

Ashlyn increased her speed and felt the brunette’s hips start jumping to meet her hand. She kept her mouth on Ali’s nipple for a few more minutes while thrusting faster and deeper with her right hand.

“Unnnnnhhhh. Ohhhhhh. Yeaaahhhh.” Ali stretched out each word in moans and groans as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of her girlfriend between her legs and at her breasts and on her side.

The keeper started to sweat a little as she worked up her girl. She loved the way Ali’s body responded to her touches and the way her hands kept trying to touch her back. The sound of her wet fingers and hand ramming into Ali’s sopping wet pussy made the blonde’s head spin and her clit ache. Ali’s breast was bouncing against her face as she appreciated her gorgeous girlfriend climbing towards her release.

“You are so sexy Al” she grunted out and kissed her breast once more before moving her mouth lower. “So fucking sexy.”

She focused on angling her thrusts up as best she could while she moved down Ali’s body enough so she could bring her lips to the brunette’s swollen clit. Ashlyn felt a wave of passion flood her own center as she smelled her girlfriend’s pussy. She covered Ali’s sensitive nub with her mouth and sucked on it, gently at first but then harder.

“Oh!” the brunette shouted when she felt Ashlyn’s hot lips right where she wanted them. “Shit. Yessssss.” She moved both of her hands to her girlfriend’s blonde head, randomly stroking and massaging it.

“Does that feel good gorgeous?” Ashlyn husked out, her own arousal becoming more powerful every minute.

Ali couldn’t talk, her face was scrunched up and her mouth was slightly agape with her head back against the pillow. She squeezed Ashlyn’s head and pulled her hair to explain how amazing it felt instead.

Ashlyn felt her girlfriend’s walls start to clench around her fingers and kept thrusting hard against them. She flicked her tongue across Ali’s clit as fast as she could while her left hand tugged on and pinched the brunette’s nipples. It only took another minute or two of the intense pressure and pleasure to send Ali over the edge and into her release.

“Oh my fucking god” the brunette shouted loudly as she came with a strong spasm that shook her entire body. She shook and twitched and jerked for several minutes, her eyes closed and her mouth open. Her chest heaved as she panted and moaned through her strong orgasm.

The blonde left her sensitive clit alone but continued to move her fingers in and out slowly, helping Ali ride out the orgasm. She moved back up Ali’s body to her original position and kissed her beautiful chest and sweaty neck. Finally, after another few minutes, the brunette stilled and the only movement was her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. Ashlyn pulled her fingers out and dragged them, dripping wet, up over Ali’s mound, along her lower abs and stomach and up onto her chest where she brought them to her own lips and licked them clean.

Ali opened her eyes and watched the love of her life take her tongue and lick up the juices she had just spread out along her body. The blonde finished with a gentle kiss to the top of her girlfriend’s mound and then moved back up to kiss the brunette soundly on the mouth.

“You taste so good it’s unbelievable” Ashlyn murmured as they broke the kiss. “I could eat you out all day, every day and still come back for more.”

“That felt so good” Ali breathed out, catching her breath after the kiss. “That was fucking amazing.”

“Are you cold?” the keeper asked sweetly.

“No way. It’s getting hot and sticky in here, and I don’t just mean me” she giggled.

“Oh she’s got jokes now too!” Ashlyn teased her and tickled her side quickly before kissing her again.

“Thank you Ashlyn. That was incredible” she said as she looked into her girlfriend’s face. “Thank you.”

“We should turn this air conditioner back on or you won’t be able to sleep tonight, hot stuff” the keeper teased.

“How about you go get the shower started and I’ll meet you in there” she wagged her eyebrows and squeezed Ashlyn’s ass before playfully slapping it. “I want another treat before bed. By the time we’re done it’ll be nice and comfortable in the bedroom.”

“You have the best ideas. I swear I don’t know how you do it woman” the blonde said excitedly as she sat up and pulled her girlfriend with her. “But please don’t ever stop.”

They kissed for a minute and then Ali mumbled against her lips.

“I’ll never stop loving you Ash.”


	33. Moving In

The Breakers won their game Sunday evening in Kansas City 2-0. That made it two wins in a row and two clean sheets in a row for Ashlyn. The whole team was ecstatic and went out to celebrate that night in KC, then flew home to Boston on Monday morning. The players really felt like they were starting to build some momentum and thought they had a chance to go on a modest run and end the year strong. Their next game was two days later on Wednesday August 31st. They hosted Houston in an 8pm game and lost 1-3. It had been close throughout the match with the Breakers giving up two goals late in the second half to win the game. As excited as everyone had been with the little win streak, expectations came crashing down after the Houston loss. The team came back in on Thursday for treatment and film and recovery if they needed it. They were being given Friday off because they had to fly out to Portland on Saturday for their Sunday evening game.

Ali had celebrated with Ashlyn and Whitney when they came home from KC Monday. She made them a big dinner and really enjoyed doing it because she had been so busy that she had barely cooked since before the Olympic break. She had been at the Houston loss cheering madly from her seats with Sydney, Carm and Jessie. As the game ended the brunette turned around to look at the stands behind her and on the two ends of the field. They were full. If there was any positive to take away from the frustrating loss she thought that was it. The fans had been there for the team the entire season no matter what. The Breakers had been at the bottom of the table almost the whole season but the fans showed up to every home game and cheered their hearts out for the players giving their all on the pitch. The brunette got a little emotional as she stood there thinking about that, late on a Wednesday night.

Friday September 2nd, the Breakers’ off day, rolled around and Ali and Ashlyn woke up early in the brunette’s bed.

“You ready to kick ass today Krieger?” Ashlyn asked in her ragged morning voice as she hugged her girlfriend close for a few more minutes before they had to get up and start their busy day.

“You know it Harris” Ali replied softly as she snuggled into her keeper’s side and kissed her neck. 

She sighed contentedly. It was 7am and they had to pick up the rental truck at 8am. Niki, Molly, Sydney and Whitney were all meeting them at Ali’s house at 9am to start loading the furniture into the empty U-Haul moving truck. They would move all of her furniture, and anything else that had been too big to fit into Ali’s truck during the past two weeks, up to the big old house. Niki and Sydney didn’t have school duties until Tuesday, the day after Labor Day, so they were available to help. Molly made arrangements to get the day off. Dom tried to find someone to cover his shift for him but couldn’t. Originally the big moving day was going to be Saturday but the travel plans for the Breakers messed that up. Dom would join them as soon as he could after work that evening. Ken Krieger was also out of town for work and couldn’t help. But he had offered up Tanner and Koty to assist instead. Ali had politely declined. If they got stuck they would call them but she was pretty sure they could handle it. She and Sydney and Ashlyn had moved all of the boxes and bags and odds and ends that they could over the past couple of weeks so there really wasn’t much left. 

Except for her office. But she and Sydney and Molly were staying behind for the first trip up to Gloucester so they could start getting it packed up so the desk and filing cabinets could go up on the next trip. Originally Ali was going to leave all of her books and things in the bookcases in there until that morning as well. But she had busted her butt Tuesday night to get most of the bookcases emptied out and boxed up. She took two hours last night and finished it before she and Ashlyn moved up stairs for one last romp in the house. As of that day, Friday September 2nd 2016, Ali would no longer sleep there or live there. She would go back for odds and ends or if the office breakdown went horribly or something like that. But if everything went well that day, then she would officially say goodbye to her house.

At 10am Sydney, Molly and Ali stood in the driveway and looked at the house. Niki and Whitney had just driven away with the first load in the U-haul, Ashlyn following them in Ali’s truck, also full.

“What do you think Alibaba? Sad to leave or excited to get going?” Sydney asked as she put her arm around her best friend’s shoulder.

“Both” Ali smiled, looking at the house she had spent so much time in and money on. “It hasn’t felt like home in a while so that made it a little easier” she admitted with a shrug. “But I cried like a baby the other night as I packed up my books in the office.” She paused as both Molly and Sydney looked at her expectantly. “So many memories. I love this little house so much.” She squeezed both women, one on either side of her. “But it’s so much easier knowing you and Dom are going to live here, at least for a little while anyway.”

“I promise we’ll take good care of it” Sydney leaned over and kissed Ali’s cheek.

The rental truck crew returned to Ali’s house just before 12:30pm and they all took a break and ate lunch together. The next full truck pulled out of the driveway just after 1:30pm. They were almost done packing up Ali’s office. They just had to empty the filing cabinets and put all of those folders into the temporary cardboard file boxes Ali had pre-assembled. On the next, hopefully last, trip for the U-haul they could load up the office furniture and bookcases and filing cabinets. There were a few pieces of yard equipment from the garage and a couple of window samples that hadn’t fit in any of the loads yet.

“So you can actually read these blueprints?” Molly asked from the corner of the office as she packed a cardboard filebox with about ten sets of plans rolled up with rubber bands around them.

“Yep. It’s just like reading a map, except you know, the lines and symbols mean different things” Ali laughed as she answered, knowing it didn’t make much sense.

“Well that’s super helpful, thanks” Sydney teased and chuckled.

“It sure seems complicated” Molly commented as she re-rolled one of the sets when the rubber band broke.

“Didn’t you have to pass a big test for it Al?” the coach asked, sure she remembered helping the brunette study for it.

“I didn’t have to, my company didn’t require it. But I wanted to get my certification before I started forgetting any of it” Ali answered with a laugh. “’Construction Documents Technologist’. Yes, it’s as sexy as it sounds.”

“Ah that’s what the CDT is for on your card. I get it” Molly nodded her head and closed up the box. “I wondered what that meant.”

“Nobody knows” Ali laughed as she closed another empty file drawer. “The only people who are impressed are architects.”

“Was that what finally got you into Sarah’s pants or what?” Sydney quipped and giggled.

“Probably” Ali laughed along with her best friend and then got quiet.

“Who was Sarah?” Molly asked, picking up on the different vibe in the room.

“She was a very nice architect that miss thing here dated last year” Sydney explained with a wink at Ali.

“Oh,” Molly said as she watched Ali’s face change into a mixture of sadness and something else, maybe anger? “And you’re still sad about her?”

Sydney was surprised that Molly had gotten that out of the brunette’s demeanor. She decided she would let Ali handle this one on her own and stepped back into the small closest in the room to grab the last few product manuals that were stored on the shelves in there.

“Oh it’s a long story Molly” Ali sighed as she answered her new friend. “But yeah, I still feel shitty about it. She was great and I ended up really hurting her and she didn’t deserve that.”

“We’ve all been there, I think, at some point.” Molly felt bad for intruding into a sore subject for the brunette. “I’m sorry Ali.”

“Have you heard back from her yet?” Sydney asked, sticking her head back out of the closet.

“No. I doubt I will. I don’t know.” Ali met Molly’s inquisitive eyes as she finished answering Sydney and sighed again. “I wrote her a letter last month apologizing to her and thanking her and basically telling her what a great person I think she is” Ali explained. “It’s just a matter of time before I see her at her office again. I honestly can’t believe it hasn’t happened yet. Part of me thinks whichever architect I make the appointment with over there gives her a heads up so she’s not around.” Ali closed another empty file drawer. “I just don’t want it to be awkward when we do see each other or work together again.”

“Well I’m glad she doesn’t sound like another Hannah. Thank God for that” Molly said sincerely.

“Oh hell no. Couldn’t be more different” Sydney commented. “Sarah was as nice as Hannah was rotten.”

“So what was the problem then?”

“She wasn’t Ashlyn” the coach explained simply, shrugging her shoulders.

It was 6pm when the third and final truck load pulled away from Ali’s house. They would all meet up in Gloucester and eat dinner, then unload. The unloaded items that could be easily moved into the big old house by Ashlyn, Whitney and Niki had been taken care of. If Ashlyn wasn’t sure where Ali wanted it to go she had called her to be sure. They had tried to organize the truck loads so that all of the stuff that was going to be stored in Ashlyn’s garage for the time being went into the first truck load. That had been easy. They just backed the truck up to the garage and unloaded it. The second truck load had been trickier with a mixture of things. They had been blessed with a beautiful weather day so they left some of the things that were going into the house but needed more than three people to move them, right in the driveway.

George had come to look at the garage as soon as Ashlyn had returned from vacation in Satellite Beach, which was the week before. The good news was that the garage was structurally sound. The keeper explained her plans to store things on the second floor and eventually replace the two overheard garage doors on the front. George agreed that, to be extra safe, they would beef up the structure to help support the second floor better. He wanted Ali and Ashlyn to be able to confidently use every part of the garage to store whatever was necessary. It wasn’t a complicated or expensive job to double up the studs in the walls and then run additional engineered lumber between them to support the floor above. There was no finish work to worry about. If Ashlyn wanted to insulate and winterize the garage they could always do that in the future. George had his guys do the work the week of the move, in fact, they had just finished everything the day before. Ali had tried to pay George for the work but Ashlyn refused. The only reason it didn’t become a full-blown argument was because the keeper had to go to her game in Kansas City. The brunette thought about just talking to George about it and paying him directly but she didn’t want to put him in that position. She also didn’t want to air any of their dirty laundry, as clean as it actually was. They ended the debate with a promise to have a frank discussion about finances and specifically shared finances, in the very near future.

“So how you doing baby?” Ashlyn asked her girlfriend as they stood inside the empty living room one last time.

“I’m sad but I’m at peace with it” Ali answered and hugged her girlfriend from behind as they looked around the room. “I know it’s the right thing and I’m so excited to come live with you Ash.” She paused and kissed the blonde’s back through her t-shirt. “I’m excited.” 

After they finished eating their dinner the hard-working group got back to the task at hand. They wanted to get the big pieces of furniture moved in first so they could let Niki and Molly go home and pick up Noah from Molly’s sister. They moved Ali’s couch up into Ashlyn’s studio on the third floor, along with her old office desk and the one file drawer that matched it. They were a pale oak veneer. The brunette had purchased them at Staples and assembled them herself. They were far from fancy but still functional. Ashlyn would repurpose the desk as a drafting table and use the file drawer to store supplies. She hadn’t actually done much with the studio space yet but she had designed it, more or less, already. Having a comfortable couch in there was always part of her plan. They both knew that Ali would buy a new couch and probably a chair and coffee table for the front of her office space. Ali’s old living room couch was not a good fit for the office space in style or color. There were four dressers from Ali’s bedroom and guest room and those went into the second floor bedrooms, except for Whitney’s room which already had the two dressers Ashlyn kept from her Grandmother. Once Whitney moved out those two dressers would go into whichever bedroom Grandma Lilian’s headboard went into but it wasn’t worth switching everything around for until then.

The dining room table and four matching chairs went into Ashlyn’s empty dining room. And the old dresser that the brunette had painted and used in her dining room as a hutch also went up to the third floor. Ashlyn wanted to put it into her studio but Ali was afraid she was just doing that to be nice and didn’t want to clutter up her girlfriend’s space with her old furniture. They agreed to keep it in the third floor hallway until they could decide which room to put it into permanently. The three bookshelves from Ali’s office went into her new office. They were from Ikea and had a hinged glass door on the front of each one to keep the dust out. They were a maple veneer and matched the maple in the floor better than Ali thought they would. The dark wood coffee table and two end tables from the brunette’s living room went into her new office. She was hopeful she could find a couch that would fit better but still work with the tables. The table lamps from the two bedrooms in Ali’s house went into the second floor bedrooms at the big old house. Those bedrooms had beds in them and one dresser and one table lamp. They were furnished, but only with the basics. The truth was Ashlyn couldn’t afford to buy five bedrooms full of furniture. The two floor lamps from Ali’s living room went up into the studio and Ashlyn fought hard for them. If she wanted to manipulate the light up there she would need different lamps and shades and she finally convinced her girlfriend that she wasn’t just trying to nicely store her junk for her.

The two tall, four drawer, metal filing cabinets and the two short, two drawer metal filing cabinets all went into the basement for storage. Ali had to keep three years of work history, per company regulations. That meant she had to keep any of the file folders and sets of blueprints for all the projects that she had sold. Every January she rotated through them. She kept the current year and the year previous in her actual office with her. Then she kept the two prior years down in her basement. If she had a high-profile job or a project that she knew was going to have more work done to it, like a second phase, she might keep that as well. All of that was going to be stored in the basement of the big old house too. So in January she would take the previous year and move those folders to the basement. Then she would move the current year into the previous year file drawers in the office and start fresh with empty drawers waiting to be filled for the new current year. Then she would purge the older year of folders from the basement to make room for the new arrivals in storage. Because she often had sensitive documents, like customers’ credit card information, she either shredded or burned the old files. For the last couple of years she had called a document shredding company that came right to her house and shredded everything while they parked in her driveway. It was cheap and it took about thirty minutes and it was a thousand times easier than shredding them herself and hoping her little office shredder didn’t break.

The other things from her old basement went down into Ashlyn’s basement as well. Some plastic totes of memorabilia that she wasn’t ready to give up: old diaries and photo albums, old video games and computer games, every CD she had ever purchased. And two totes full of her baby and childhood things that she had collected after her mom had moved to Miami and sold the house she had grown up in. There were two folding tables with eight folding chairs to go with them. An old bed frame that was still perfectly good but not needed in her old house. The large wooden storage box with a hinged lid that she had built in shop class in middle school went into the basement with a bunch of board games neatly stacked inside. She had a wide assortment of power tools that had been in her garage. Her company ran a promotion for contractors every couple of years. If you spent a certain amount of money on your window purchase you could select a power tool from an assortment of five or six comparably priced items. Sometimes the contractors weren’t interested in the tool program. Sometimes the sales reps selected a tool for the contractor without telling him about the program and then used it as a nice gift for a different contractor customer. Either way, every sales rep that worked there had been encouraged by their boss to get a tool whenever possible and use them as they saw fit with their other existing customers. So Ali had a circular saw, a sander, a mitered saw, an angle grinder, a table saw, a nail gun, a sawzall or reciprocating saw, two different power drills/drivers, a thermal imaging gun, a small air compressor, a small pressure washer, a router, and a jobsite radio that also charged the batteries for different power tools at the same time. There were a bunch of hand tools in a neat tool kit and a couple of tool belts, knee pads and work gloves that had never been used before. These things all went into Ashlyn’s basement with plans to set up an official workbench area. The workbench area itself was still being debated. Basement versus garage with neither one having a clear advantage yet.

All of the brunette’s window samples and work literature had been put into the garage. Ashlyn knew her girlfriend was going to take her time and set everything up just the way she needed it in January but, for the time being, the keeper took the time to carefully line up all of the window samples along the back wall of the first floor of the garage. That way all Ali had to do was go into the garage through the door right next to the back storage area and pick out the sample she needed. There were a lot of them, ten or eleven, and they weren’t light. Ashlyn was impressed, again, by her girlfriend’s strength and skill when it came to her job. The rest of Ali’s sports equipment, her beloved grill, and her yard equipment went into the garage to be sorted through later, including her lawnmower. Ashlyn had been using the one that her grandmother had kept in the garage. One of the neighborhood boys would come and mow for her once a week. Ashlyn had taken over the chore but complained about the old mower. They would keep Ali’s and get rid of Grandma’s.

Ali kept several of her favorite coffee mugs and added them to Ashlyn’s cupboard in the kitchen. The keeper’s dishes and cookware were newer so Ali’s had gone into the donate pile except for pieces she knew the blonde didn’t have. That had been the advantage of taking a couple of weeks to get packed up. She could go back to the big old house and check to see if Ashlyn had an olive tray or a waffles griddle or not and then pack accordingly. Her shot glass collection was packed carefully and put into her new office. She would unpack them when she had time. The boxes of her books and movies were stored in the front hall for the time being. Ashlyn insisted because she wanted to have books spread out throughout the house. She didn’t want to just have Grandma Lilian’s books in the front parlor or Ali’s books just up in her office. There was no rush, but she wanted everything mixed together because it was Ali’s house too. She felt the same about the artwork and pictures and framed photographs that came from Ali’s house. The blonde still hadn’t decided on exactly where to put some of Grandma Lilian’s pictures yet so they would incorporate Ali’s into the queue of rotating wall decorations and see which ones looked the best where. Of course they would have to find just the right place for Ali’s copy of ‘El Jaleo’. That would always be a priority. So far the leading candidates were the wall behind the sectional couch in the front living room, the wall next to the piano in the front parlor, and the only wall in the dining room (the other wall spaces were occupied by a built-in hutch, two built-in corner china cabinets, and the double-sided fireplace on the wall shared with the front parlor).

Ali’s sheets and towels were added to the second floor linen closet and her clothes were moved into the guest bedroom for the time being. She already had a lot of her clothes in there from when she lived in the house during the month of January. But the blonde was adamant that they share the two closets and three dressers in the master bedroom. Ashlyn was more of a clothes horse than Ali was, but the brunette had just as many shoes as the keeper. If they needed extra space they would certainly use some of the closet space in the other bedrooms. But that would be for things they didn’t wear every day, like their formal wear. All of those details would get ironed out in time and, honestly, they were both looking forward to those joint decisions. 

The biggest discussion had been around Ali’s two televisions. The big one from her living room was older than the big one from her office. They moved her office tv into her new office but weren’t sure where or how to mount it. She often turned the tv on during the day to catch the news or during the evening when she was preparing quotes and doing computer work. She usually had a soccer game or some other sport on but she used it a lot. For the time being her PS4 went into her new office as well although they thought about hooking it up to the family room television. They watched YouTube and Netflix on Ashlyn’s PS4 in the front living room but they would use Ali’s for the same purpose if it went into the family room. The debate was whether or not to put a tv in the master bedroom. Ashlyn was all for it but Ali was against it. She had never had a tv in her bedroom growing up so she didn’t need it to fall asleep. On the contrary, if the tv was on she had a hard time falling asleep. Ashlyn enjoyed lying in bed and watching a movie or playing a game, particularly if her girlfriend was with her. Ali finally relented but wanted them to be careful about when they used it. She didn’t want to go to bed every night with the tv on. She didn’t want to go to bed any night with it on, actually. The brunette loved coming upstairs and getting ready for bed with Ashlyn and then reading for a little while, either to themselves or each other, and going to sleep. She appreciated the tv in there if someone was sick or during one of their naked ‘bubble’ times. And she understood wanting to have their own space when the house was full but that wasn’t very often and wouldn’t really be needed until they had a bunch of kids hogging all the other tvs in the big house. Ashlyn promised her worried girlfriend that they wouldn’t change the way they were doing things just because there was a tv in their room.

Molly and Niki left first, at about 8:30pm, and then Sydney and Dom took off at about 10:00pm. They were kind enough to return the rental truck for Ali at the overnight drop-off. Sydney had always had a spare key for Ali’s house so they could start moving their own things in whenever they wanted. The two best friends hugged goodbye in the driveway, both a little teary-eyed. Whitney went upstairs and got ready for bed, leaving the couple standing by themselves in the driveway.

“We did it Al, you’re finally here” Ashlyn whispered excitedly as she stood next to her girlfriend looking up at the big old house with her arm around her shoulders.

“We sure did babe. Thank you for all your help” Ali replied and paused for a minute, squeezing her keeper’s waist. “I’m so glad I’m here honey.”

//

The Breakers lost to Portland 1-5 that Sunday evening. They flew back late that night because they had another game coming up on Wednesday. Ashlyn was in a foul mood for most of the day Monday. She hated giving up goals and she had let five of them past her in Portland. Granted the Thorns were one of the best teams in the league, fighting for the top spot in the table and trying to win the Shield, but it still pissed her off to have anybody score on her five times. Monday was Labor Day and Ali had it off. She had spent all day Sunday unpacking and setting up her office so she could work with the IT guy on Tuesday morning. Ali wanted to spend as much of Monday as possible with her beautiful girlfriend, no matter what kind of mood she was in. The brunette had gone to the florist and bought flowers for her girlfriend for a change. She set them on the dressing table in their bedroom and made Gram’s mac and cheese and a salad for lunch. She expected Ashlyn and Whitney home around 11am.

When the two blondes finally pulled into the driveway at 11:30am Ali was beyond excited. There was something about moving in late Friday night and then having the keeper leave early Saturday afternoon for her away game that left the brunette extra romantic and appreciative.

“Hi sweetheart” the brunette hugged her girlfriend in the mudroom and kissed her lips softly. “I’m so glad you’re home” she giggled like a young girl, surprised at how giddy she felt. “And I’m so glad I get to say that now and have it mean our home.”

The keeper’s terrible mood lifted instantly when she was greeted by Ali. She was so moved by the brunette’s nervous excitement and heartfelt words that she began to cry softly in her embrace.

“I love you baby” she whispered, her voice breaking. “And I’m so fucking glad to be home.”

They had slept for about six hours on the flight home that morning. Both Whitney and Ashlyn were groggy and crabby and pissed off about the loss. Ali ushered them into the kitchen and fed them lunch and listened to their complaints about the game and the refs and the team in general. Whitney, ever the optimist, looked forward to their home game in two days against Western New York but the keeper wasn’t ready to move on yet. Ali could see the clouds in her eyes again and chewed on her own bottom lip.

An hour later Ashlyn stepped out of the shower and dried herself off before walking into the bedroom to get dressed. She was so angry about the game and the team and the season and she just couldn’t shake it that day, no matter how hard she tried. She was scheduled to see Mattie in the morning and just knowing that made her feel a little bit better. They had progressed to every other week and the keeper had seen the therapist two weeks ago, right after returning from their vacation in Satellite Beach. They had discussed Hannah and Meg’s visit and the appointment had gone well. They were both hopeful that, if things continued to progress, Ashlyn could go back to just attending monthly group meetings in the new year.

The blonde was surprised to see her beautiful girlfriend sitting on the bed, reading, and waiting for her. When she saw the keeper Ali closed her book and put it back on the nightstand. She smiled at Ashlyn and tilted her head a tiny bit.

“Can I take care of you babe?” the brunette asked with a small smile.

Ashlyn stood there with just her towel wrapped around her waist and noticed that the foot of the bed had been set up for one of Ali’s sports massages. She watched the brunette get off the bed and cross the room to stand in front of her. 

“Or I can just leave you alone if you need that instead. Just be honest with me. My feelings won’t be hurt” the brunette lied. She was craving time with her keeper, she didn’t care what they did as long as she could just be next to her. Her feelings would be hurt if Ashlyn wanted time alone but she knew it wasn’t about her. Her brain understood.

“A massage would be awesome, if you really don’t mind” the keeper answered with the tiniest of grins.

“Of course I don’t mind honey. That’s why I offered.”

Ali moved to the foot of the bed and patted the big beach towel she had spread out. The blonde put on a pair of boxer briefs and got into position as Ali put her hair up into a messy bun and started warming up the strong sports massage oil. She kissed her girlfriend’s shoulder once before starting the massage.

“Can you tell me about the beautiful flowers Al?”

The brunette was touched that Ashlyn had even noticed them over on the dressing table. They hadn’t talked about them or anything yet.

“I thought it was about time I gave my beautiful girlfriend some special flowers for a change. They’re anthurium and I never knew that before. I’ve seen one of two of them in some of those big huge bouquets at weddings and big events but never knew what they were” Ali started to explain.

“They’re striking.” Ashlyn’s words were starting to get thick as she relaxed into the massage. “What do they mean?”

“It means ‘abundance’ and also ‘happiness to the home’ and I got them to welcome you home.” The brunette kissed the back of the keeper’s head softly. “In case you fall asleep, remember you need to shower before you put on clothes. This is the strong stuff. Ok baby?”

“Ok baby” Ashlyn answered quietly. “Thank you for...everything, the flowers and lunch and this...”

“You’re welcome my love.”

//

The next morning Ashlyn sat on the edge of the bed looking at her sleeping girlfriend. The brunette was curled on her left side, still in the little spoon position fifteen minutes after the big spoon had gotten out of bed. The keeper wanted to sketch her like that, but there wasn’t time. Sunrise was at 6:15am and she wanted to get down to her spot on the big rock by 6am. They needed to leave in ten minutes so they could walk down to the beach.

Ashlyn leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. She gently brushed the dark brown hair away from her face and spoke her name.

“Ali. Hey, Al” she shook her shoulder gently and then placed a kiss on it. “Sweetheart.”

The brunette rolled onto her back and stretched, bringing both arms up above her head as she tried to open her eyes. Her face scrunched up as she fought off the sleep.

“What’s the matter babe?” she croaked out in her morning voice. “Are you ok?”

Her eyes blinked open and she tried to understand what was happening, frowning in the process.

“Will you come with me?” the blonde asked and kissed her softly on her lips. “Please?”

Ali hated to be woken up. If she was asleep then woe to you if you woke her, especially if it was still dark out. If you wanted to see her at her worst, or near it anyway, then wake her up while it was still dark out and behold.

“What?” she rubbed her eyes with one hand and rested her other hand on Ashlyn’s forearm next to her on the bed. “Where are you going? What time is it? What’s happening?” She wasn’t panicky, just confused and sleepy.

“It’s almost 6am. Will you come with me to the rock to watch the sunrise?” the keeper asked bashfully, her confidence drained away. She knew Ali would have agreed if they had talked about it the night before so she could have planned for it. But the blonde hadn’t decided to do it until this morning. Ashlyn felt bad for waking the brunette up so early on such a big busy day for her. She had to spend the morning on the phone with the IT guy to get her office up and running. It was such a bad idea and the keeper regretted it more and more with each passing second. Her face fell and she felt selfish.

Ali watched the silent run of emotions pass across her girlfriend’s face. She literally saw the excitement fade from her eyes and be replaced by guilt and regret and sadness. The keeper had been in such a low mood the day before and that excitement that was there a minute ago was the first time Ali had seen her look happy since she got home.

“Yes” she answered roughly, voice still not awake, and squeezed her girlfriend’s arm. “When do we need to leave?”

“5 minutes. You get dressed and I’ll get the coffee ready. Meet you downstairs” the blonde answered with the excitement back in her voice and her eyes. “I love you.” She kissed Ali’s lips quickly and felt the brunette smile against her lips.

As they sat on top of the big rock ten minutes later Ali reminded herself that there were rewards for taking risks and doing things not in your comfort zone. And she was experiencing one of them at that very moment. She sat between Ashlyn’s legs with the blonde’s arm wrapped around her stomach, holding her tight, Ali’s back to Ashlyn’s front. They each had a tall, insulated travel cup of coffee in one hand as they faced East and waited for the sun to come up. The horizon over the ocean was already a sliver of deep orange and pink and yellow. It was chilly, in the low 60s, but they were warm in their sweatpants and sweatshirts. Over the next ten minutes they sat quietly together and watched as dawn turned into sunrise and the sky expanded with color, inch by inch. The seagulls kept them company and swooped low near the beach where a handful of people stood and watched the horizon. The couple drank their coffee and enjoyed the beautiful panorama in front of them. Ashlyn squeezed the brunette with her arm every once in a while and placed a kiss to her neck. Ali had her arm wrapped around the keeper’s bent knee, holding it close to her side. She rubbed her hand up and down her girlfriend’s calf and patted it now and then. 

“Thank you for bringing me here this morning” Ali said as she leaned back and turned her head for a kiss.

The sun was all the way up and it was time to get back to reality. The keeper leaned forward and brought their lips together in a slow, tender kiss. 

“Thank you for coming with me Al. I’ve been meaning to do this all summer. I’m sorry it took me so long.”

Ali turned sideways and bent her legs over the blonde’s outstretched leg and wrapped her arms around the keeper’s neck. She kissed Ashlyn again and the blonde held her close and deepened the kiss. They stayed like that for another twenty minutes, slowly kissing each other and enjoying their time together before they had to go and start the workday.


	34. Concussion

The Breakers played the Flash to a 2-2 tie on Wednesday night. It was a close, well-fought game from start to finish. The Flash had two of the best strikers in the league and to hold them to only two goals was no small achievement. Whitney had played a terrific game, maybe her best all season. She had scored the first goal with a header off of a set piece and then she played a tough, physical game against the Flash’s tall forwards. Whitney never got the credit she deserved for her aerial game. She was strong and fearless and one of the best defenders in the league. She won player of the match. She and Ashlyn had both had really great seasons but none of that mattered when your team was 3-13-2 with only 11 points total for the season. They were still at the bottom of the table and there was no way they could catch up. Orlando was the next team up the table, an expansion team in its’ first year no less. The players were all incredibly frustrated. Kristie Mewis’ younger sister, Sam, played for the Flash as well as the USWNT so the party after the game was at Kristie’s apartment again. It was a fun time but nobody got too carried away because they had another game on Sunday at Houston. That would be the fifth game in three weeks, three of them on the road. It was a hectic schedule to be sure. 

Ashlyn’s appointment with Mattie the morning before had gone well. She really liked the therapist and enjoyed talking with her. The keeper left her office feeling much better. Mattie suggested she bring Ali in again for another joint session. The blonde wondered if that meant that Ali had something she needed to talk about. The brunette had seen Mattie a few times since their last meeting together, five weeks ago, back before Meg’s visit. Mattie probably wanted to check in with them both on the new living arrangement. Ashlyn would find out for sure in two weeks.

Ali’s Tuesday had gone reasonably well. The phone call with the IT guy took forever but they were finally able to get everything set up. She loved her new office and at least once an hour she stopped and shook off a wave of emotions when she thought about Ashlyn’s hard work and her thoughtfulness and her kindness. She was literally surrounded by Ashlyn’s love for her. Ali certainly hadn’t meant the blonde needed to build her a new room when she told her not to ask her to move in again until she was serious. But that was a perfect example of what made the keeper so special. 

The brunette had basically re-created her old office up on the third floor. She set her three bookcases up and filled them with her books and movies and all of the things the same way it had been in her old office. She didn’t do it because she felt like it was the best way. She did it just to get the boxes unpacked and out of the room and the house. She hated lots of clutter around so she just unpacked everything and put it right back where it had been. The Breakers had a week off before their last game of the season and the brunette was trying to stay caught up at work and even get a little bit ahead so she could take Ashlyn away for a long weekend somewhere close by.

And Ali had called the electrician to come in and take care of the odds and ends that still needed work like the gym and her office and the art studio. The whole house had been upgraded during the renovation but Ashlyn had decided against doing too much up on the third floor, mostly, Ali suspected, because she didn’t have the money to do everything all at once. The brunette was going to have the electrician look at the garage too while he was there so they could get that set up with the right amount of power and lights so it was functional.

//

Friday evening they went out for a romantic dinner on the water. They got a little bit dressed up but not too fancy. If they decided to go for a stroll on the beach after dinner they liked to be comfortable too. They talked as they ate.

“Two games left babe, what do you think? Can you guys win one of them?” Ali asked as she cracked open one of her lobster claws. 

“I think we can beat Houston if we play smart and get a couple of goals. They’ve been spotty this year but they’ve been playing pretty well recently so it’ll be a tough match.” Ashlyn answered as she dipped part of her lobster tail into butter. “And the Flash, man, they’re tough. They’re scrappy. They’re young. I wish we didn’t have to play them four times as our ‘rivalry team’, let’s just leave it at that.”

They talked more about the team and what the keeper thought was the problem with the backline. It was a touchy subject because on paper it looked like the Breakers defense was terrible. But the real problem with the team was that they couldn’t score any goals. You can’t win games if you don’t score goals. Ashlyn thought back over all the games they had lost by one goal. There were six games. Four of those they had lost 0-1 without scoring at all! Those were the games she wanted back. And those weren’t on the defense.

“We miss Mollie a lot” Ashlyn said, referring to their starting left back Mollie Pathman who retired in May. “She was 24 fucking years old and she retired so she could go to medical school. Players can’t earn a living in this league so they play for a few years until they get a good job opportunity someplace else and they retire so they can feed their family” Ashlyn complained. “It’s just ridiculous.” She chewed her bite of lobster tail and closed her eyes for a minute to calm herself down. “If I didn’t have the endorsements I have I wouldn’t be able to afford the house and I’d have to go find something else to try and do.” She was quiet for a few minutes. “What would I do to pay the bills if I didn’t have my endorsements Al?”

The brunette had been eating and listening and watching as her girlfriend let out some of what must have been bothering her of late. Ali felt like saying a tiny ‘I knew it!’ but would never ever have done it.

“Ash, you’re smart and talented and hard-working. That means you’ll succeed no matter what you decide to do.” Ali reached across the table and held her hand. “I know you’re worried about the future of the league but for right now you’re ok. You do have those endorsements. Didn’t you just tell me the other day that they want to do another series of Betty Sue’s ads? And what about the Suburu deal?”

“Yeah, I know, but...”

“Honey, this is what Mattie means when she talks about making our own problems. I do the same thing until I catch myself. Yes, you have every right to be concerned about the future of the league. It’s insane that they can’t pay the players enough for them to live on. It’s embarrassing as hell if you ask me. But you can only control you. Should you have a back-up plan? Hell yes. And if you don’t then we’ll work on that this winter. But what you can control is your endorsements. Spend more time with your fans on social media. Not, like, anything crazy but just engage more with them. Set up a twitter poll about something every week during the off-season when all the WOSO fans are going crazy with soccer withdrawal. Put yourself out there more, if you want. People love you Ash. You could have a future in sports broadcasting if you want. But you have to start laying the foundation for that now if that’s what you want to do down the road.” 

“Public Relations and Marketing degree in full force” Ashlyn chuckled and squeezed the brunette’s hand.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be pushy...”

“Ali, don’t apologize. You just rattled off random things in two minutes that would have taken me two months to come up with. I think it’s awesome the way your brain works. I’m glad you’re on my side.”

“I’ll help you in any way that I can babe. I’ll do anything for you” Ali smiled at the blonde. “You’re already the most popular player on the team. Imagine what would happen if you guys starting winning?”

Ashlyn shot a dark look at her girlfriend.

“No, no I’m not trying to be a jerk. I mean it. When the Breakers start winning you’re only going to get more popular with more fans. If you want more and better endorsements we can try and make that happen Ash.”

//

The Breakers didn’t win their game in Houston. They lost Sunday evening 1-4. It was a close game until the 70th minute and then it all fell apart. Ali watched the game from bed on her laptop, texting with her parents and Sydney throughout. Ashlyn had played a terrific game, single-handedly keeping the Breakers competitive. Carli Lloyd, Kealia Ohai and Rachel Daly were attacking the goal from every angle and distance and Whitney could only do so much. The keeper had made ten saves, several of them spectacular acrobatic highlight reel saves, and the game was tied 1-1. Chioma Ubogagu had just subbed on for Rachel Daly to try and get some fresh legs involved in the final push. She was fast and dangerous from the forward spot and she immediately made an impact. Morgan Brian passed a perfect ball to Ohai who was racing up the left flank. She sped past Breakers rookie, #1 draft pick, Christen Westphal and sent a beautiful cross into the box. Carli Lloyd drew most of the defensive attention as Whitney tried to body her away from the pass. Kassey Kallman jumped from the other side of Lloyd to deflect the pass with her head. The deflection went wrong and Ashlyn had to lunge to her right to batt it away from the goal. As she scrambled to her feet she saw the ball ping pong between Julie King and Ohai and then it went back into the middle of the box about 3’ high off the pitch. It was just outside the goal box and Ubogagu was sprinting towards it from the top of the 18. Ashlyn had a split second to decide what to do. Get back on her line and hope one of the defenders could get there first or go out and get it herself. All she saw were orange Dash jerseys.

“Keeper!” she screamed to her teammates, telling them that it was her ball. 

The keeper bolted for the ball. She surged forward using every ounce of power in her long, strong legs.

“Oh shit babe. Don’t you dare...” Ali breathed out and then held her breath as she watched, terrified.

Ubogagu was a few feet away from the ball and was lining up her shot as Salem and Westphal both closed the distance. She wound up to take the kick and just as she drove her leg forward Westphal bodied her hip knocking her slightly off-balance. Ashlyn dove forward with her arms fully extended and punched the ball towards Kristie Mewis who was wide open near the center circle. 

“Oh my God” Ali whispered to herself as she watched in horror.

Ubogagu’s foot connected with the side of Ashlyn’s head a second after she punched the ball away. The keeper knew it was coming and tried to get her left arm up to block it but was only able to get a tiny piece of the cleat before it smashed into her head, just above her left ear. The force of the kick spun Ashlyn over and she landed, limply, on her left side. The crowd went silent. The players went to her immediately. Whitney and Julie were the first to her side. 

“Don’t touch her” Whitney yelled protectively as she crouched down near her best friend’s face.

Angela Salem slammed into and pushed Ubogagu and probably would have tackled her to the ground if Kassey Kallman hadn’t pulled her away, both arms around her stomach. Carli Lloyd walked Ubogagu away from the scene over to the side of the pitch, just outside the 18 yard box, where the rest of the Dash players were gathering. Their faces were a mixture of shock, fear and disbelief.

The ref blew his whistle and ran over with his red card held up high, pointing it in Ubogagu’s direction. Nobody even noticed. They were all looking at Ashlyn’s lifeless body. Julie King jumped up and waved frantically to the sideline to get medical out there. Whitney spoke to the keeper the whole time, even though it was obvious that she was out cold. They couldn’t see the left side of her head because she was on her left side but they all knew it was bad.

Ali’s phone blew up. She had texts from Sydney, both her parents, all of the Harrises, even Carm who must have been watching too. The brunette knelt on the bed with her phone in her hand and her eyes glued to her laptop. There were tears falling silently down her face. The camera angle was from behind Ashlyn so all Ali could see was the back of her girlfriend’s body. And the awful look on Whitney’s face. She saw that too and her heart sank.

She spent an agonizing twenty minutes watching the medical team tend to Ashlyn on the field. They rolled her over and Ali exhaled deeply when she saw the keeper’s eyes open.

“Oh thank God” she breathed out. 

Whitney stayed right by her side the whole time and seemed to be talking to her. Dani, the Breakers’ trainer, was there too but she let the EMTs run the show. Ali cried out in relief when she saw Ashlyn moving her arms and legs. They put a neck brace on her, which was standard procedure for head injuries, and carefully lifted her onto the stretcher. Ali still couldn’t see the left side of her head. Whitney walked next to the stretcher with her hand on the keeper’s shoulder as they wheeled her off the field. Ashlyn gave the crowd a little wave to let them know she was ok. Whitney gave her one last pat as they crossed the sideline.

“Call Ali” she yelled to Dani. “Have somebody call her right away or she’ll be on a plane tonight.” Dani nodded her head and gave the defender a thumbs up.

Whitney jogged back onto the field to rejoin her team and try to finish the game. Everybody was shaken and a little stunned, even the Dash players. Ubogagu was ejected, even though it hadn’t been intentional. If Westphal hadn’t bumped her she probably wouldn’t have made contact with Ashlyn at all. But that was soccer. Abby Smith, the rookie back-up goalkeeper, went into the game to replace Ashlyn and did her best but there wasn’t much she could do. The Breakers hadn’t quit on the game but they were all pretty freaked out. Ashlyn was one of the strongest people on the whole team, both physically and mentally, and if she could go down like that then they all were susceptible and it scared them.

Ali’s phone rang and she answered it because it was Dani. The trainer told her that Ashlyn was ok and that they were probably going to keep her overnight at the hospital in Houston for observation because she more than likely had a concussion. They would put her through the concussion testing to determine how severe it was and then figure out the course of treatment. But if everything went as Dani thought it would, Ashlyn would be able to fly home sometime tomorrow. Definitely not in the morning with the rest of the team, but hopefully later in the day. Dani told her that she would keep her updated the minute anything happened or changed. Ali thanked her and then sent out a group text to the Harrises, another to her family, and a quick one to Sydney. Then she called Gram and talked with her about everything Dani had said.

Whitney called the brunette just before midnight. She was sitting next to Ashlyn in the hospital room and she spoke quietly into the phone.

“They don’t really do the grades anymore but if they did it would be a Grade 2 concussion.”

“How long was she out Whit? I couldn’t see anything but her back, and your face. You should never play poker” Ali quipped as she tried to settle her jangly nerves.

“Very funny. I’ll keep that in mind.” The defender smiled and was thankful for the little bit of comedy. She was sure Ali needed it too. “She was only out for a couple of minutes. When I got to her she was out cold but then she opened her eyes and I just told her not to move anything until the EMTs got there. For once, she listened to me” Whitney chuckled softly.

“Thank God. So is she still flying home tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’m going to sit with her tonight and then Kristie’s going to wait and fly back with her tomorrow evening. She’s supposed to be observed for 24 hours which would be until about 10pm your time tomorrow night.”

“Ok. Do I need to fly out there Whit? I’ll get on the next plane...”

“No, you definitely don’t. I promise. The doctor said she’s going to be fine. She just has to be still and quiet and not hit her head for a while.” Both women giggled quietly at how funny that sounded and also at how difficult that might prove to be for the keeper. “If it was bad I wouldn’t be flying to North Carolina tomorrow afternoon.”

“For what it’s worth, you played a great game Whit. You all did, up until...”

“It wasn’t dirty or intentional Al. Just so you know.”

“I know, I saw the stupid replay a million times. I just wish she hadn’t gone out for it. But that’s her game. I’m always going to be holding my breath like that” Ali confessed.

“Yeah, well just be grateful you didn’t hear what it sounded like. I’ll never be able to get that out of my head” Whitney added somberly.

“Jesus Whit.” Ali gulped. “I’m so sorry.”

//

When Ali helped her girlfriend walk through the side door of the big old house late Monday night a feeling of déjà vu swept over her. All of a sudden it was January again and she was helping Ashlyn home after her shoulder surgery. She smiled as she thought back to that time. The brunette had loved taking care of the keeper. Ali realized it was because she got to spend so much time with her and got to be so close and intimate with her as she recovered. As difficult as it had been to see her in so much pain it had been one of Ali’s favorite times in their friendship or relationship.

Once they were ready for bed and Ashlyn was tucked under the covers Ali sat next to her and gently touched her shoulder and arm. She looked at the angry bruise on the left side of her face and grimaced reflexively. The keeper had gotten twenty-two stitches to close up the gash on the left side of her head. It ran horizontally about an inch above her ear. They had to shave part of her head to clean the wound, then stitch it up and bandage it and the blonde was not happy. The bruise covered her ear and a good portion of her cheekbone, where the back of the cleat had hit her. “Baby I’m ok” Ashlyn said in a quiet, raspy voice, her eyes closed. “I’m sure it looks awful but I’m ok. I’ve got a hard head, remember?” Her face moved into a small smile and she reached for the brunette, her eyes still closed. “Will you please come cuddle with me so I can get some sleep? I’m so tired.”

Ali curled up into her girlfriend’s side after making her promise to tell her if she needed any ibuprofen for the pain or if she was hurting her in any way.

“I love you Ashlyn.”

//

It was not how Ali had planned to spend the keeper’s week off. She cancelled their long weekend getaway plans and tried to be home as much as possible so she could make sure Ashlyn didn’t overdo it. The concussion had left the blonde with some double vision, a terrible headache that was almost constant, a sensitivity to light and sound but mostly light, and a sense of confusion about the events during the game and a little bit before the game. The doctor said all of those symptoms would clear up with time. Some would go away in a few hours, others might take a few days. The Breakers’ medical team wanted to see her on Thursday to check her progress. She would have to pass the concussion test before she would be allowed to resume any athletic activities. With the team having an off week there was no need to rush back. If things looked good on Thursday then they would allow her to start a modified training with the team on Monday. It all depended on how the keeper’s symptoms were doing.

Ashlyn was supposed to be keeping still but she was so bored. All of the things she liked to do when she was being still would hurt her head. She couldn’t look at a computer screen or her phone or even the tv for the first couple of days. She was really sensitive to light. She found it difficult to read because she couldn’t get her eyes to focus. Whitney was in North Carolina for the week and Niki was busy with her new coaching job and Ashlyn started to climb the walls. The only things she could do that didn’t hurt were playing cards or a board game as long as there wasn’t too much reading involved, and painting or sketching. She took a couple of naps a day and spent the rest of the time in her studio. 

Ali had Sydney and Dom come over Wednesday night so they could all play cards and games. They ate dinner together, played games and talked and then went home at about 9pm. And then she had her dad and Vicki come over Thursday night to do the same thing. Niki and Molly came over Friday night but left Noah at home just in case he decided to be loud. After their guests left they would get into bed for the night and Ali would read to her. The keeper asked her to read ‘The Little Prince’ because she had never actually read the whole thing. The brunette could not have been happier to oblige. It was a long, painful and boring week for the keeper but she had almost made it through.

“I can’t believe we have the house to ourselves again and this time I’m fucking injured. Unbelievable” Ashlyn shook her head, gently.

Ali laughed and hugged her girlfriend as they lay in bed Wednesday night. They had tried to have sex but as soon as the keeper got excited and all the blood started rushing around, her head started pounding and it became too painful.

“I’m sorry sweetheart. Really, I’m more sorry than you know” she groaned and caressed Ashlyn’s naked stomach, trying to keep her touches to only safe places. “Let’s get dressed and stop the torture” she sighed and got up to get them both some pajamas.

“Well there’s nothing stopping you from getting all sexy with yourself” Ashlyn looked longingly at the brunette’s naked figure standing in front of the dresser.

“I’m not doing that to you Ash. You know how turned on you get when you watch me.” Ali stepped into her pajama pants quickly and pulled her sleep tank over her head. “I know because I get just as turned on when I watch you” she said as she walked around to Ashlyn’s side of the bed and helped her gorgeous girlfriend get dressed. “I think we should go for a walk on the beach tomorrow. We’ll put a hat on you to keep your stitches clean and it’ll be good to change the scenery a little bit. What do you think?”

“Sounds good honey. Whenever you’re done we’ll go, but make sure you get your work done Al. I know you’re taking time off to be with me this week and it’s your busy season and I feel bad.” Ashlyn held the covers back for her as she climbed into bed again.

“It’s ok babe. I’m in good shape so far” she leaned over and kissed Ashlyn’s lips softly. “I wasn’t going to tell you this, but I had planned to take you away for a long weekend up to one of Molly’s places in Maine. So I was trying to get ahead on some work for that.”

“You were?” Ashlyn asked as tears started to fall slowly down her cheeks. “You’re so sweet to me baby. I love you so much.”

“Oh don’t cry sweetheart, it hurts your head” Ali commented, concerned. “We’ll go some other time” she pulled Ashlyn into a gentle hug and kissed her forehead, trying to avoid the left side of her head. “It’s ok Ash. I love being with you, no matter where it is.” She kissed her bruised cheek very gently. “I know you’re bored to death, but I’m so happy to be with you this week.”

They snuggled together as the blonde stopped crying. They were both stroking and caressing each other and Ali started to get worked up again when the keeper fondled both of her breasts.

“Ash I’m only human so cut it out” the brunette warned and moved her girlfriend’s hand away from her almost stiff nipples.

“I really really want to have sex with you though” Ashlyn said, her voice thick with desire.

“No, we tried and it hurts your head so we’re not doing it.” Ali sighed heavily and closed her eyes to try and get her libido in check. “Please don’t make me be the bad guy. I want it as much as you do but I don’t want to hurt your head. What if it means you have to stay still for extra time because we have sex tonight? What if it really harms your brain?”

“You’re right. I’m sorry” Ashlyn spoke quickly and squeezed the brunette tightly. “Let’s be smart about it and just wait until my head feels better.” The keeper cleared her throat and tried not to look at Ali’s nipples in the sexy sleep tank that she loved so much.

“Thank you honey. I’m proud of you for doing the right thing. Now get your hand off of my thigh or I’m going to sleep in the guest room” Ali said sternly.

Ashlyn blew out a big sigh and moved both of her hands over to her own stomach as she lay flat on her back. Ali mimicked her position on her side of the bed and closed her eyes. She moved over so their shoulders weren’t even touching anymore.

“What’s the least sexy thing you can think of right this minute?” the keeper asked in a serious voice.

“My father. Your father. The pope. Donald Trump. Chewbacca. Mr. Rogers. Einstein. Steven Tyler. Jay Leno. Dr. Phil...” the brunette rattled off quickly, trying to picture each one in her head.

“Good ones. I’ve got your brother. My brother. Alfred Hitchcock. Andre the Giant. Our mailman. Barry Manilow. Vladimir Putin. Willie Nelson. Gary Busey. Richard Simmons. Mick Jagger. Perez Hilton...” she closed her eyes and reached for Ali’s hand.

“Oh thank God, it’s working” Ali sighed as she clasped Ashlyn’s hand and held it between them under the covers. “Don’t stop though, keep going” she urged with a squeeze of her hand.

“Cee-Lo Green. Abraham Lincoln. Any of the Kardashians. Liberace. Steve Buscemi. DJ Qualls. Gilbert Gotfried...”

//

Monday’s training was mostly a success. Ashlyn was cleared to start a modified training regimen. No contact though. She was frustrated but she had read and heard enough horror stories about people not taking care of their concussions the right way. She wasn’t going to make that mistake. If their last game of the season was them fighting for a playoff spot or something like that, then it might have been different. Abby Smith would start the last game of the Breakers season and Ashlyn was going to have to be ok with that. The good news about Monday’s training was that the keeper was able to run and work out without getting a splitting headache. She had tried a light workout on Friday, with the doctor’s recommendation after her Thursday appointment, and again on Saturday and wasn’t able to do much before the headaches started. She took Sunday off and was thrilled to be able to put in a full but light workout on Monday morning. It was the first tangible progress she had made. Well, besides being able to spend time on her phone and watch tv again. 

One of the staffers drove her to get her stitches removed between training sessions after lunch and the doctor said her gash was healing up nicely. She would have a scar but they had done the very best they could to make sure it wasn’t very noticeable. That’s partly why she had so many stitches. Ashlyn spent the afternoon training session working with Abby and the goalkeeper coach trying to get the rookie ready for the game on Saturday. When she and Whitney got home late that afternoon the keeper was so excited to tell Ali all about her amazing achievements she barely breathed as she relayed the day’s events.

“That’s awesome babe!” Ali enthused as she wrapped the blonde up in a hug. “I’m so proud of you.”

“It felt so good to work out and not get a fucking headache” Ashlyn repeated. “God that felt good.”

“Let’s see your head” the brunette said and moved blonde locks out of the way with her careful fingers. “Wow it looks really good. Have you seen it?”

“Yeah” Ashlyn admitted bashfully. “I made Whit take a picture and show me.”

As they cleaned up their dinner dishes Ashlyn wrapped her girlfriend up in a hug from behind and kissed her neck a few times. Whitney was in the living room getting ready to watch the movie they had picked out while they ate dinner.

“I bet my head won’t hurt during other activities anymore either” the blonde purred into Ali’s ear with a lick.

The brunette felt a tug in her core and swallowed. She wanted to have sex with the keeper so badly but she needed to make sure her tender head was really ready for it. 

“Let’s see honey. I don’t want you overdoing it on your very first day” Ali said quietly and turned to kiss her slowly. “I can’t wait either babe, but let’s not rush, ok?”

“Al, I’ve been waiting so patiently...”

“We’ve been waiting so patiently Ashlyn” Ali interrupted and corrected her, emphasizing the ‘we’ve’. “I don’t know why you always think you’re the only one who wants to have sex. I’ve been just as patient as you have and I hope tonight’s the night. I really do. But...”

“Oh tonight’s the night baby. I’m telling you” Ashlyn smiled tenderly and kissed Ali’s cheek. “I feel good. My head feels normal. I know I’m ready.”

“Then tonight’s the night” Ali smiled back at her girlfriend and brought their lips together in a meaningful kiss. “I can’t wait.”

Twenty minutes into the movie Ashlyn had fallen asleep in Ali’s arms on the couch. 

“Tonight’s the night alright” Ali chuckled.

\\\

The rest of the week went just like Monday had, except for the stitches. And Tuesday night they actually had sex. It was careful, docile sex but it was still sex and Ashlyn’s head hadn’t hurt. It was another promising step.

On Wednesday the electrician came and took care of all the loose ends Ali had talked about over the phone. He also looked at the unfinished basement and the garage and added in some electrical outlets and additional lighting in both spaces. Ali was thrilled to have her office fully functional and safely wired and lit. Ali wrote the electrician a check and thanked him again for the great deal. He was George’s favorite electrician and they worked together on almost every project George did. George told him to give Ali and Ashlyn the best deal he could because Ali was in the business and would recommend him to everybody she could. 

Ashlyn and Whitney pulled in just as the electrician finished loading up and started backing down the driveway with a wave. It wasn’t until much later that night, after Ali returned from Sydney’s, that the couple talked about the electrician. It was late and Ali was tired and just wanted to snuggle up with her girl and go to sleep. Ashlyn was already in bed and Ali was sure she had already been sleeping for a while. The keeper’s mood was dark but the brunette chalked it up to being tired and possibly grumpy from being woken up.

“I’m sorry if I woke you babe” Ali said quietly as she came into the room and leaned down to kiss her girlfriend. 

Ashlyn didn’t kiss her back and sat there against the pillows with her arms crossed over her chest. 

“You didn’t wake me. I was awake” the blonde answered brusquely.

The light on Ali’s nightstand was on and it was the only light in the room so the brunette couldn’t really see Ashlyn’s face very well. She walked into the bathroom and closed the door halfway before turning the light on. She didn’t want to hurt the keeper’s head with a bright light in a dark room. Ali brushed her teeth and washed her face. She moved back into the bedroom and changed into her pajamas. She could feel Ashlyn’s eyes on her but she wasn’t sure what the problem was. Ali didn’t want to engage her because she was obviously in a bad mood. She wanted to know what was going on and try and help if she could. But it was late and she honestly thought maybe it would be best to just wait until the morning to talk about whatever was bothering her girlfriend. The brunette went back into the bathroom and sat on the toilet to pee.

“So we’re not even going to talk about it then?” Ashlyn said hotly as she stepped into the bathroom, squinting at the light.

“Jesus! You scared me” Ali exclaimed. “What’s going on Ash? Why are you upset?” she asked as she flushed the toilet and moved to the sink to wash her hands.

“I’m upset because you had the electrician come and do all that work without clearing it with me first” the keeper explained curtly, rubbing her forehead.

“Honey” Ali said softly as she dried her hands and reached for her moisturizer. “Why don’t you go back to bed and I’ll be right there and we can talk about it ok?”

“I’m not a fucking invalid Ali. I don’t need you to tell me what to do all the time” Ashlyn yelled and then winced.

The brunette could not believe what was happening. She thought quickly about what was going on and what she could do and what she shouldn’t do, which was engage in this ridiculous fight with her girlfriend who was obviously not feeling well.

“Ashlyn, please honey, let’s go back to the bedroom and talk. Your head hurts, I can see it on your face babe.”

Ali tried to take the keeper’s elbow and guide her out of the brightly lit bathroom but Ashlyn wouldn’t budge.

“My head is fine. Quit making everything about my fucking head.”

“Well good. I hope you and your stubborn head have a nice night here in the bathroom” Ali spat out as she turned the bathroom light off and went into the dimly lit bedroom.

She took a quick inventory of the room to see if there was some indication of what was really bothering the blonde. She saw Ashlyn’s journal on her nightstand and her phone. Her laptop was on the bottom shelf of her nightstand and there was a bottle of water and a bottle of ibuprofen. Everything else in the room seemed as it should be. What the hell? Ali thought about going downstairs for a few minutes to give Ashlyn a chance to come out of the bathroom on her own terms. Just as she was about to go down the back stairs she heard a small voice call her name.

“Ali?”

She turned on her heel and jogged to the dark bathroom. Ashlyn was sitting on the edge of the tub with her head in her hands. Ali knelt in front of her and rubbed her hands up and down the keeper’s thighs.

“I’m here babe, what’s going on? What can I do?”

“I’m sorry” Ashlyn said in that same small voice. “My head hurts.”

“When did you take the advil last? Do you remember?” Ali asked as she pulled her keeper’s hands down so she could see her face.

“A while ago. After dinner.”

“It’s almost midnight, did you take them before 8pm do you think?” Ali held her girlfriend’s hands.

“Yeah, definitely before then.”

“Ok good. Come on, let’s get you into bed and you can have some advil and I’ll rub your neck for you too.”

Ali helped the blonde to her feet and led her by the hand to the bed. She held the covers for her as Ashlyn got situated with her back against the pillows. In the soft light Ali could see that her face was red and puffy from crying. She kissed her forehead and handed her two pills and the bottle of water. The brunette sat on the edge of the bed and patted the keeper’s thigh through the covers as she watched her swallow the two pills and drink half the bottle of water. Ashlyn leaned her head back against the pillow and sighed.

“I’m sorry baby.”

“Ash it’s ok. Let’s not talk until your head stops hurting. Ok?”

“Ok.”

Ali went downstairs and grabbed a couple more bottles of water and a banana and brought them back to the bed with her. She offered the banana to the blonde who shook her head no.

“Can I rub your neck?” Ali asked as she got into bed on her side and moved closer to the keeper.

“Yeah, that always helps” Ashlyn said quietly as she shifted her position so her back and neck were angled towards her girlfriend.

The brunette moved her hands slowly over Ashlyn’s back and rubbed up and down her neck with the fingers and thumb of her right hand. The blonde groaned and put her hand on Ali’s knee, patting it affectionately.

“Does that feel ok? Or is it too much?”

“Feels good” the blonde breathed out and patted her knee again.

They stayed like that for about twenty minutes and then Ali moved her hand up to massage the back of Ashlyn’s head. She used both hands and her fingers moved all around, careful to avoid the gash as it continued to heal. 

“Man that feels nice” Ashlyn whispered.

Ali moved back towards the edge of her side of the bed and sat cross-legged. She told the blonde to lay back with her head in her lap. The brunette massaged her head and her face, careful of the bruised cheekbone as well. She had learned this as a relaxation technique but had never actually done it before.

“Just try and relax your whole neck and head and let me have it. Literally let it go and let it rest in my hands.”

She picked up Ashlyn’s head in both hands and started moving her hands, one at a time, from the base of her neck up to the top of her head. Ali loved that the keeper was able to relax enough to let her do it and that she trusted her enough. She rested her head in her lap again and moved her fingers back to Ashlyn’s face. After several more minutes she could see that the blonde’s face was more relaxed and she could feel that her breathing had slowed and steadied.

“I’m really sorry Al.” Ashlyn kept her eyes closed but wanted to talk with her girlfriend. “I shouldn’t have taken my frustration out on you like that. You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

The keeper tried to bring her arms up to touch Ali but the brunette told her to just lie still. Ali kept massaging her as they talked, their voices quiet.

“Thank you for apologizing honey. Are you sure you’re not upset with me?”

“No, I’m not upset with you at all” Ashlyn answered and bit her lip. “I was mad that you paid the electrician but I wasn’t mad at you.”

“Well who were you mad at then?”

“I was just mad that I didn’t have the money to get it all done right at the same time last year. It’s nobody’s fault but my own but it made me mad as hell.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this when I was showing you all the things he did? We could have talked about it then and maybe avoided whatever it is that made your head hurt so much.”

“I didn’t want to be mad. I thought I could work my way out of it. But the more I thought about it the more angry I got. Then I was so mad I had to go down and work out my anger...”

“Ashlyn” Ali sighed, frustrated.

“I know. I’m sorry baby. I...”

“Where was Whitney?”

“It’s not her fault. I told her I was going down to check out the new lights and stuff. She finally caught on and made me stop. She yelled at me and everything.”

“Well good for her” Ali chuckled. “God you’re a pain in the ass sometimes, do you know that Ashlyn?”

“Yes.”

“How’s your head now?”

“It feels much better. Thank you baby.”


	35. Networking

The Breakers’ final home game and final game of the woeful 2016 season was an 0-4 loss against the Western New York Flash that Saturday evening. Ashlyn didn’t dress for the game but sat on the bench with her team and did her best to cheer them on. After the game the whole team walked over to the stands and clapped for the fans to thank them for all their support throughout the challenging season. The game was sold out, as had been the last four home games. The Boston fans loved their team, even after a 3-15-2 season of futility. Autograph Alley was busy after the game and Ashlyn stayed and signed things and took pictures and talked with fans until the security people literally forced her to leave.

All of Ashlyn’s support team had come to the game even though she didn’t play. Ali, Sydney, Dom, Carm, Jessie, Ken, Vicki, Tanner, Koty and even Sydney’s mom attended the game to cheer the team on. Kyle was the big surprise. He took the train up from New York City with his new boyfriend Saturday afternoon and met them at the game that evening. They were staying in a hotel in Boston for the weekend while Kyle showed Nico around the city he had called home for so long. They all went out afterward for a little while to celebrate the end of the season with some drinking and dancing and bar games. 

Ashlyn and Whitney were planning to throw another end of the season party, just like they had done last year. It was going to be Friday night, in six days, before the players left town after their end of year physicals and meetings that week. A lot of them were planning to fly home the next day, Saturday. Ali had hoped Kyle could come up for that weekend and that party and bring Nico so she could meet him. But that weekend didn’t work for Nico so they came up for Ashlyn’s last game instead. As happy as she was to see her brother, she would always be elated to see Kyle, she was irked by the way the visit had come about. Why was she only getting to see him at 7pm Saturday night? That was an entire day gone. She had offered to meet him or them for coffee or lunch or anything during the day but Kyle said they would see her at the game. Then, as most of the crowd was splitting up and saying goodnight after the bar, Kyle and Nico were headed to one of the gay clubs to meet a bunch of people and party some more. Ali was tempted to go with them and keep an eye on him, she could have easily talked Sydney into joining her, but she wanted to get Ashlyn home and into bed. The keeper was doing much better and almost all of her concussion symptoms were gone but she still got tired easier, especially on days where she did more than usual. She had just ramped up her workout to a medium level that day since she couldn’t play in the game. Ali knew she would be exhausted and ready for bed.

“You can go with them if you want Al. Whit can take me home. She’s good to drive” Ashlyn said quietly into her girlfriend’s ear as they got ready to leave the bar. “I know you’re worried about him.”

“I’m always worried about him” the brunette replied as she kissed the keeper’s lips. “But he doesn’t seem to want much to do with me this weekend and I’m just going to have to be ok with that I guess.”

//

They got up early the next day to get a round of golf in before Ali’s company’s big charity tournament later that week. Ashlyn was still a terrible golfer but she and Ali had gone to the driving range as much as possible over the summer. Her shots off the tee had improved and if she swung normally, instead of trying to blast the golf ball into outer space, most of her drives were long and straight. The keeper was excited about the tournament and hoped she could help the foursome off the tee every once in a while that year.

Kyle and Nico were supposed to meet them for lunch at a restaurant up near the big old house and then stop by the house for a quick visit and tour. Then they were going to visit Ken and Vicki in Ipswich on their way back to the city for another night out with the boys. They were taking the train back to NYC Monday afternoon. Kyle texted Ali at about 11am Sunday to tell her that they changed their plans and had made a reservation at a restaurant in Boston for lunch instead. That irked Ali to no end, just as Kyle knew it would. The two women drove as fast as they could into the city to try and make the reservation in time. They got there right at 12pm and waited for fifteen minutes for Kyle and Nico before Ali tried calling her brother. Finally, at 12:20 Kyle texted to tell her they were on their way. At 12:40 the women ordered their food and ate it when it was brought to the table, tired of waiting. They tried to have a nice time together but the brunette was furious at the way her brother had been treating her the whole weekend. Her top was about to blow and Ashlyn knew it. The keeper almost felt bad for Kyle, but not really. He deserved it for being so careless with his sister’s feelings.

The waiter had just brought them the check when Kyle and Nico waltzed over to the table and sat down. Kyle apologized but barely met Ali’s eyes before he and Nico started looking at the menu. The brunette looked at her girlfriend but Ashlyn just shrugged. It took ten minutes but Ali had finally made up her mind that they were just going to pay their bill and leave. It was almost 1:30, her brother and his new boyfriend were an hour and a half late after dicking around with the original plans in the first place. And now they expected she and Ashlyn to just sit there and watch them eat? She had had enough of the bullshit. Just as she opened her mouth to let Kyle have it, Nico took his sunglasses off and started raving about Ashlyn’s sleeve tattoo. And that was that. Ali had no idea what precipitated Nico’s sudden chattiness but he and the keeper were talking about tattoos and he was taking off his flannel to show her some of his. Ali levelled her brother with a stare and he just looked down. That was what she needed to know. He knew he was being bad and treating her poorly. That meant there was something so important about this new guy that Kyle was willing to mistreat his sister, and probably his father, for. She reached over and took the pickle off of his plate and ate it. She knew he saved it for last and he knew she knew it. That was her way of telling him that he was a shit and that she loved him and that they were going to talk about everything very soon.

//

It wasn’t until Tuesday night that Ali got to talk with her brother about his new boyfriend. He was an actor who wasn’t very well known yet, but was starting to become sort of famous. He lived in Brooklyn and he and Kyle had been electronic pen pals since they met at a New Year’s Eve party. Nico travelled to Los Angeles a lot for whatever cable show he was working on. They started dating back in early August once Nico was back in Brooklyn for a while. He wasn’t out. He wasn’t a recovering anything. He wasn’t even gay. He was ‘open to new things’.

“I think I love him Al” Kyle admitted over the phone.

“I’m happy for you Ky, but I don’t know” Ali paused, not wanted to crush her brother with her low opinion of his new guy. “He doesn’t seem all that invested, but it’s hard for me to say that because I only talked with him for, like, five minutes last weekend.”

“I’m sorry. God. How many times do I have to apologize for last weekend?” Kyle whined.

“I don’t know, but dad flipped out when you blew him off too. I never dreamt that you wouldn’t have called to cancel your visit with him. So when I told him you tried to blow us off he freaked.”

“Oh man...I’m such an idiot.”

“And if dad freaks out then that means he’s calling mom right now. So you’d better fix it unless you want Debbers on the case.”

“Ughhhh” he groaned again.

They were quiet for a moment before Ali spoke softly and seriously to her brother.

“You haven’t treated me like that since...since before you got clean.” She waited until she got her voice under control. “I’m really scared Ky. Please tell me you’re ok and I don’t need to be terrified.”

“Al, I’m ok. I promise. I fought too fucking hard for my sobriety to just throw it away for some cute boy.”

“Well what’s going on with you then?”

Kyle sighed heavily. “I think I love him and I really want him to love me and I let him walk all over me sometimes because I’m afraid if I tell him what I want or don’t want he won’t want me anymore.”

“Oh bb, you know that’s no good” Ali said gently to her big brother. “You need to talk to him about it.”

“But what if he doesn’t love me back?”

“Ah, but what if he does?” Ali answered hopefully. “I was in the same place you are back in February with Ash. I took the leap and it was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

“Yeah, but what are the chances that will happen to me too? Slim and none.”

“You don’t know that. And what kind of relationship is it if you hurt everybody else that you love, including yourself, just to be with him?”

They were quiet again and Ali could hear her brother trying not to cry. After a few more minutes he finally spoke again.

“Ok, I’ve gotta go. He’s coming over in a half an hour and I look like hell.”

“It’s almost midnight, what kind of date starts at...ugh never mind. Don’t tell me, you got a booty call?”

“Oh stop judging me. We all can’t be madly in love and blissfully happy like you and your soccer star.”

“I love you Kyle.”

“I love you too.”

//

The charity golf tournament was the next morning, and it was another huge success. Ali put together and played with the same foursome as last year and they came in second place again, just like last year. It was the same set up. It was a scramble so each player took a shot from the same place and then they decided which ball to play from there and took the next shot. The only rule was that you had to use one drive from each player somewhere during the eighteen holes. Ashlyn was helpful on the greens again. She took the first putt each time so the other players could try and get a read on the green. And her drives off the tee were much better than they were last year. They used her drive on the 8th hole just to be safe. But she legitimately had the best drive of all four of them on the 17th hole so they used her ball again. The two female architects praised her improvement and encouraged her to continue working on her game. One of them gave Ashlyn some pointers with her putter. Once she realized that the keeper was serious about improving her golf game she was happy to spend some time to help her.

“I don’t need to be the very best, I know I don’t have anywhere near the kind of time that would take, but I want to be able to golf 18 holes on my own and not embarrass myself” Ashlyn explained after the impromptu lesson.

And, just like last year, Ashlyn made lots of connections and exchanged lots of business cards. Her youth soccer camp was coming up the second week in October and there were still some open spots. The keeper had convinced Hilary Knight to play in the tournament too. Ali made sure the all-star professional hockey player was in a foursome with some good players, all women again, and that she had a great time. They came in sixth place but one of the lady contractors from Hilary’s group won the hole-in-one contest on one of the short par 3 holes on the course. That was a big deal and came with a $1,000 cash prize. Hilary was awesome. She told the contractor that she would match her donation if she gave that cash prize back to the charity. They snapped a few pictures of the exchange and the local sports reporter promised he would tweet out the story that night. Hilary basically paid that out of her own pocket. The players in the NWHL were making even less money than the players in the NWSL. Hilary was the star of the league and was probably making more than some of the other players, but it still couldn’t have been much. Ali was struck by the kind and generous gift. It was one thing for Ashlyn to spend her day at the event, she was sleeping with Ali and cared about her company’s success and her success within the company. But Hilary was there because she was a buddy of Ashlyn’s. For her to go above and beyond like that was really something. She was kind and gracious to everybody who asked her for autographs and selfies. She even apologized for not bringing her gold medal with her. 

Most of the guys there wanted a picture with both Hilary and Ashlyn, because of the Betty Sue’s commercials. Ali realized as she watched all the interactions that Ashlyn and Hilary had a real opportunity to market themselves. Betty Sue’s had done the groundwork for them already. Those two professional athletes had undeniable chemistry and you could tell that they genuinely liked each other. The brunette’s marketing mind was spinning with ideas. They could even start cross-promoting the two leagues. The NWSL was on a much stronger footing, in their fourth year, than the NWHL was, only in their second year and struggling. 

The owner of Ali’s company was beyond thrilled to meet an Olympic gold medalist, and captain of the US Women’s hockey team. 

“Here she is. What an honor to meet you” the owner of Ali’s company said as he shook Hilary’s hand.

“Hilary Knight, this is Steven Dudley, the owner of my company. Steven, this is Hilary Knight, who needs no introduction.” Ali made the formal introduction with a big smile on her face. 

“I’m a big fan” Steven said sincerely as he grinned at the Olympian. “Gold-medal winning Olympian, team captain for team USA. It’s truly an honor to shake your hand.”

“And this is Ashlyn Harris, starting goalkeeper for the Boston Breakers” Ali directed his attention to the blonde standing next to Hilary. “And also, I’m lucky to say, my girlfriend” the brunette beamed as she looked at Ashlyn.

“Well it’s nice to meet you Ashley” Steven shook her hand and turned immediately back to Hilary.

“So what brings you to the Boston area?” he asked, like an idiot.

“I play for the Boston Pride, the women’s pro hockey team here in town” Hilary answered with a steady smile. “But I wouldn’t be here at this event today without my good friend Ashlyn” she explained and put her arm around the keeper’s shoulders and held her next to her. “And of course she wouldn’t be here today without Ali” she put her other arm around the brunette’s shoulders and pulled her next to her with a grin. “It’s always smart to have good friends, don’t you agree Steven?”

“Oh absolutely” he replied, not even phased by the schooling he had just received. “In business, and in life, it’s all about the people. I always tell my team that the most important part of our business is the people. Don’t I Ali?”

“Yes you do. At the end of our quarterly meetings he makes a point to remind us all that we’re his most valuable asset. He’s always been great at recognizing talented people” Ali answered truthfully.

“So the Boston Pride...I’ll have to look into getting some tickets to one of your games” Steven pulled out his phone to look at his calendar.

“Why don’t you give me your card and I’ll have someone from the office get you all the game information” Hilary offered, still sandwiched between Ali and Ashlyn. “We could put a whole group ticket deal together and you could invite your whole team to come meet the players and watch the game.”

“Really? That’d be terrific. We could do sort of a field trip type thing” he enthused as he put his phone back in his pocket and pulled out two of his business cards.

“And I’m sure Ashlyn could do the same thing for one of the Breakers’ soccer games next season. They just finished their season earlier this week but they start up again in...” she paused and looked at the keeper for help.

“April, our season kicks off in April” Ashlyn answered. “We could definitely set up a group event for you guys.”

“That sounds great” he replied enthusiastically and handed both of the athletes a card. “I’m sorry, your name isn’t Ashley it’s...”

“Ashlyn. Ashlyn Harris” the blonde answered and gave him one of her dimpled grins.

Ali saw it happen. The moment her girlfriend’s charm finally penetrated Steven’s thick skull. He had been so infatuated with Hilary at first that he hadn’t really considered the blonde standing next to her.

“Ashlyn, well isn’t that a beautiful name?” he said like an old man finally understanding a new word.

Hilary released both women and tucked Steven’s card into her pocket.

“Do you have daughters Steven?” the hockey player asked.

“I do. I have two beautiful girls who are growing up way too fast” he chuckled.

“Well these women’s professional leagues are trying to carve out some space here in Boston. It’s an amazing town already so full of great sports teams. Everybody knows there’s no better place to play than ‘titletown’” Hilary started her best spiel about supporting women’s pro teams. “But what gets me excited about it is that one or both of your daughters could grow up and be a professional athlete and there could be a league for her to do what she loves most and what she does better than anybody else.”

“I never thought about it that way before” he admitted. “My oldest is into horses and is a very talented rider, but if she loved hockey instead of horses there wouldn’t be much for her to do once she graduated college.”

All of the women could see the gears turning inside his head. Ali winked at her girlfriend who grinned back at her.

“Exactly! That’s why supporting the womens’ leagues is so important. If you want there to be a pro hockey or pro soccer league for one of your daughters to play in when they get older we’ve all got to start supporting them now” Hilary finished passionately.

“And there are all sorts of ways to help support them” Ashlyn chimed in. “Everything from corporate sponsorships down to buying a ticket to a game or some merchandise for your girls to wear.”

“You ladies have given me a lot to think about” Steven chuckled as he shook Hilary and Ashlyn’s hands again. “It’s easy to see you believe in what you’re doing and that’s half the battle right there. Let’s try and get something set up with the group tickets and then take it from there. How does that sound?”

“I didn’t mean to bend your ear” Hilary offered sweetly. “We’re here today to help this wonderful charity at this outstanding event you’ve organized. I sure don’t mean to take anything away from that.”

“No, not at all. This is a great event and it looks like this year will be our most successful ever. But there’s always time to talk about other important things” Steven reassured her. 

There was a photographer there who wanted a picture of all of the famous and semi-famous athletes that played and attended. As Hilary and Ashlyn walked away behind him towards the rest of the athletes Steven put his arm around Ali’s shoulders and leaned his head towards hers.

“I’m impressed Krieger. Not many reps can bring a gold medalist to a charity golf event. Keep up the good work” he said kindly and patted her arm before removing his from her shoulders.

“Thanks Steven. The hard work doesn’t always show up in the numbers or on the reports, but I’ll just keep doing it” Ali replied evenly as they walked side by side to watch the photograph being set up.

“Did you say she was your girlfriend?” he asked as they walked.

“Yes. Ashlyn is. Hilary is just a good friend” the brunette explained. 

She never talked with him about her personal life. She had known him for almost ten years and liked him well enough. He was the one who had hired her as a matter of fact. But, especially in recent years as the company had grown, their exchanges were almost always professional.

“Well good for you” he said warmly and gave her a smile. 

The photograph was a lot of fun. It was impromptu and natural, except for the subtle posing suggestions the photographer made. The athletes seemed to enjoy being in one another’s company and it showed. One of the other athletes there was Julian Edelman, wide receiver for the New England Patriots. He was a surfer dude from California and he and Ashlyn hit it off instantly. They talked about skateboarding and surfing until almost everybody else was gone. He told Ashlyn about some of his favorite places to skate in and around Boston. She told him about the great guy she had found in Rockport who made custom boards. Julian was also a huge soccer fan. He asked her how her head was feeling. He had seen her collision on SportsCenter and grimaced as they talked about it. They exchanged numbers and agreed to keep in touch. He made her promise to come help out at his next charity event and she made him agree to help out at one of her soccer camps.

Steven made a big deal out of Hilary’s gold medal when he spoke at dinner to give out the awards and prizes. Someone told him about the hockey player matching the donation that the lady contractor had made and Steven agreed to double their donation right there on the spot. He was a sucker for athletes in general but he was also one of the most patriotic people Ali had ever met. So he got extra excited about Olympic athletes. He also gave a special shout out to the table full of awesome golfing women. Ashlyn’s foursome sat at the same table with Hilary’s foursome so all the women who had golfed were sitting at the same table. Julian Edelman stopped over to ask what he had to do to get a seat at that table and the whole room cracked up.

The day was a huge success. Ali and Ashlyn drove home exhausted but satisfied. The brunette had impressed the owner of her company. Ashlyn had made a bunch of new contacts. And they both had a lot of fun spending the day together.

//

Friday night was the big year end party for the Breakers at the big old house. They basically repeated what they had done the year before. There was lots to eat and drink. And there were lots of games to play. Somebody brought Twister as a joke and it ended up being the most popular activity for most of the night. The dancing girls danced up a storm in the front living room and that’s where Ali and Sydney and Kristie spent most of their time. Niki and Molly came but couldn’t stay too long. Ali and Ashlyn were helping Sydney and Dom move the next morning so they were all being careful with their drinks. The only thing worse than moving was moving while being hungover. 

“Hey Ang!” the keeper called as her teammate walked into the kitchen to get a beer.

“How’s the noggin Ash?” Angela Salem asked as she hugged the keeper hello.

“Just fine now, except for my fucked up hair-do” Ashlyn laughed as she released the feisty midfielder. “Listen, I just want to thank you for having my back out there” the blonde got serious as Angela looked up at her, confused. “I’ve seen the video a billion times and my favorite part is you flying in and letting Ubogagu know we’re a team.”

“Oh man was I mad” Angela said in a low voice as she shook her head slowly. “I was already at a full sprint to try and catch her, she’s fast as hell by the way.”

“I know!” Ashlyn agreed with a chuckle.

“And I just let her have it. I don’t care what my punishment is from the league. I’ll pay the fine or whatever. You can’t take my keeper out like that. I wasn’t trying to hurt her but where I come from there’s a price you pay when you take out my keep.”

“I appreciate it Ang. I really do. It means more to me than I can tell you. That’s how I was taught too. You protect each other, you play for each other, you win for each other. Nothing dirty. Nobody has to be a thug or anything. I think if we’d have had a little bit more of that this year things might have been a lot different.”

“I’ll always have your back Ash” Angela hugged her again.

“And I’m paying your fine” the blonde said seriously and locked eyes with the midfielder. “I mean it.”

Ashlyn lit a fire in the big double-sided fireplace between the kitchen and family room and a bunch of folks roasted marshmallows and made smores. There was a little lull in the action around 10pm and the keeper thought the party might fizzle out but then the doorbell rang and Hilary Knight walked in with a bunch of her Boston Pride teammates and it got pretty rowdy. They brought a half keg with them and set it up right outside the side entrance door. Within fifteen minutes the first keg stand happened and almost everybody had done one before too much time passed. 

“Oh my God, I can’t remember the last time I did a keg stand” Ali said to Sydney as they stood in the kitchen and watched out the side door by the sink.

“No kidding” Sydney agreed, giggling. “After college for sure, but not too far after...maybe ten years ago?”

“Holy shit, ten years ago.” Ali looked at her best friend and grinned her nose-crinkling grin. “I’m gonna kick your ass Leroux!”

“Oh no you’re not. I’ll show you how it’s done!” the coach yelled back as they both went out the kitchen door and over to the keg.

Hilary and Ashlyn were sitting in the living room comparing scars. It started when Hilary had complimented the keeper on her latest addition, the cleat to the side of her head, and Ashlyn showed her the video of the collision, making the visitor squirm each time she watched it.

“Damn! I can’t believe you’re not still in the hospital with pieces of cleat in your brain!” she exclaimed and made a painful face as she watched the video again. “Send me that link.”

“Yeah, but the most important thing is that I made the save! Nobody ever talks about that part” the keeper complained, shaking her head. 

They ended their comparative scar challenge by talking about trainers and therapists. Ashlyn called Dom over and introduced him to Hilary and some of the other Pride players. The blonde explained how Dom had helped her with some foam roller techniques that really made her recovery work more effective. Whitney walked into the family room twenty minutes later and saw six women lying on their sides practicing the new technique while a couple of other players brought smores over to them. The blonde quirked an eyebrow and just kept going.

The most creative part of the night was the hybrid shuffleboard/curling game that some of the hockey players had set up in the kitchen. They started in the mudroom, backs up against the bench, and rolled the frozen plastic packs, the ones that you put into coolers instead of ice, down the length of the kitchen floor all the way to the back wall near the back stairs. They got some tape and made a big circle on the floor with a couple of smaller ones inside of it for the targets.

At one point Ali even cornered Hilary and Ashlyn and made them listen to her idea about their joint marketing campaign. They both thought it was a genius plan and the three of them agreed to sit down sometime soon and talk more about it.

The party went on until almost 2am. The keg ran out at 1:30am and the smores ran out at midnight. Ali and Sydney had done multiple keg stands and were both pleasantly drunk. Dom, Whitney, Kristie and Angela were the Breakers team competing against four of the Pride players at the shuffleboard/curling game in the kitchen. And Julie King and Kassey Kallman kept complaining about having run out of smores. A lot of the younger players were still playing Twister in the front parlor and taking ridiculous pictures of themselves in crazy positions. What a crazy night it had been.

//

At 9am Saturday morning Ashlyn rubbed her eyes and stretched. Her beautiful girlfriend was next to her, lying on her stomach, with her left arm spread out across the keeper’s chest. She loved when Ali held onto her like that in her sleep. Ashlyn sat up against the headboard and yawned and then chuckled. Ali’s right arm was sprawled out across Sydney’s back and both women were lying on their stomachs and facing towards the fireplace. The keeper lifted the covers and peeked underneath. She was happy to see that everybody was clothed. She wondered if Dom was on the floor on the other side of the bed or in the guest room where he was supposed to be.

The keeper used the bathroom and then toured the second floor. Dom was asleep in the guest room like the good person he always was. Hilary was in one of the twin beds in Meg’s room and two of her teammates were squished into the other twin bed. Whitney and Kassey were in Whitney’s bed. And Julie, Angela and Kristie were in the bed in the front bedroom. Christen Westphal and Abby Smith, two rookies, were on the air mattress in Ali’s office. Downstairs were two more hockey players on the living room couch and Brooke Elby and Brittany Ratcliffe were tangled up together on the family room couch.

Ashlyn went into the kitchen to make some coffee and was surprised to see Tasha Dowie sitting at the kitchen table with a cup already in her hands.

“Where did you sleep Tash?” the keeper asked quietly as she sat across from the striker.

“Wouldn’t you like to know” she replied with a quirk of her eyebrow and a shit-eating grin.

By 10:30 everybody had dragged themselves into the kitchen for coffee. Ashlyn went and bought a bunch of bagels and brought them back to the house and Tasha carved up the melon and pineapple and mangoes that were in the fruit bowl on the counter. Only five of the nineteen souls were really hurting that morning and three of them were hockey players. Brooke and Brittany were more hungover than they could ever remember being in their entire lives and they had no memory of how they ended up together on the family room couch. The last thing they remembered was playing Twister. Those five drank their coffee quietly and kept their heads down. Ashlyn, Tasha, Dom, Whitney and Hilary were all perfectly fine. They had either behaved themselves the night before or had remarkable powers of recovery. These were the folks laughing and talking in normal voices and enjoying some of Ashlyn’s stellar scrambled eggs around the nook in the family room. Everybody else was somewhere in the middle of the two groups on the hangover scale. 

Finally, at 11am, Ashlyn stood up near the big fireplace to make an announcement.

“I love you all, but it’s time to go. Syd and Dom are moving today so unless you’re planning to come with us to Stoneham and help them move, get your shit and get out.” She grinned and chuckled as a few people made jokes about someone needing lessons in hospitality. “Grab some water for the ride. I put a case in the mudroom by the side door. Take a bagel and some fruit...”

“And don’t forget the goddammned keg!” Whitney added as she brought the dishes from the nook to the kitchen sink.

Everybody started hugging goodbye and collecting their things from around the house. Whitney was in full captain mode as she did a quick tour of the rooms to make sure nothing was left behind. 

“And remember, our first home game is a week from tonight, Saturday October 8th. Hit one of us up if you need tickets” Hilary reminded everyone as they moved to the driveway and their vehicles.

//

The move wasn’t as painful as Ashlyn feared it would be. Ali and Sydney had done a good job all week long moving over the small stuff and boxes and loose ends. They didn’t start until almost 2pm on Saturday but the Dwyers didn’t have as much furniture to move from their condo in the next town over. It only took two truckloads to get everything over to Ali’s old house in Stoneham. Sydney and Ali were both a little hungover so Ashlyn and Dom did most of the work on the first truckload. It seemed fair though. The two best friends had worked hard for the last few weeks getting everything packed up and ready to move. They weren’t completely useless. They just moved slower than usual and were quieter than normal. 

They broke for an early dinner, eating one last meal in the empty condo, and then drove the second and final truck load over to the house. Ali was amazed at how different her house looked with all of Sydney and Dom’s things in it. She knew it wouldn’t look the same, but the striking difference still surprised her.

After they placed all of the big things where they needed to go and had taken a little breather it was almost time for Ali and Ashlyn to leave. The brunette carried a gift-wrapped box into the living room and put it on the coffee table in front of her best friend.

“Happy first house you guys!” she smiled brightly down at Sydney and Dom who were sitting next to each other on the couch. “It’s sort of a two-parter and one of them is mostly from me to you boo. Sorry guys” she shrugged her shoulders and looked from Dom to Ashlyn.

Sydney reached for Ali’s hand and pulled her to sit next to her on the couch as Dom unwrapped the gift. 

“Don’t forget the card” Ashlyn chastised playfully. “Don’t tell me you’re the kind of people who just ignore the card.”

“Let me guess, you picked out the card?” Sydney quipped.

“Ummmm, yep” the keeper admitted shyly. “But it’s a good card!”

Dom opened the card and read it and they all laughed because it was a good card. It was sweet and sappy but playful and funny too. 

“I told you it was a good card” Ashlyn smiled.

“Babe, it’s a good card. Let it go” Ali giggled and winked at her girlfriend.

Sydney lifted the cover off of the box and moved the tissue paper aside. She lifted out a thin piece of concrete that had been painted to look like one of the pieces of faded red slate that were scattered in a ‘random’ path inside the gate along the side of the patio in the backyard. When Ali bought the house there were faded red and faded blue/grey pieces of slate spread around the side of the house and into the backyard. They were about an inch thick and 10” by 18” in size. They were supposed to be like stepping stones in a path. Ali had taken the ones up from the side yard because they were a pain in the neck to mow around and she grew grass there instead. But she liked them. They matched the slate walkway at the front of the house and she was pretty sure that’s where they had come from in the first place. They were leftovers from that front walk. The brunette decided to keep five or six of them and placed them along the side of the back patio so when you walked through the gate you could walk on them. Sydney, of course, had helped her do it when she first bought the house and Ali knew that the coach liked them.

These concrete versions of the ‘slate’ were designed so you could carve your name or your footprint or whatever you wanted into it and then it would harden and you’d have a personalized piece of ‘slate’. The red one in Sydney’s hand had already been finished and painted. 

“Turn it over” Ali said softly.

Sydney turned it over and rested it on her knees as she grabbed her best friend’s hand and brought her other hand up to her mouth, emotionally. On the back of the ‘slate’ there was a carving about the size of Sydney’s hand. It was a jumbled symbol that was made up of different numbers and letters. It sort of looked like a tree if you squinted at it.

“Alibaba” the coach breathed out, still looking at the gift in her lap. “I love it. It’s perfect.”

Ashlyn and Dom exchanged a confused look.

“When we were ten they poured a new sidewalk by Ali’s house and we carved our sign into the piece right by her mailbox.” Sydney stopped and ran a finger under her eye to catch a tear that was falling. “Which, if we were smart, we would have realized was not the greatest spot if we were trying to fly under the radar” she chuckled and grinned at the brunette. “We had all been told not to write in the new concrete. Mama Kriegs got the mail and saw our sign in the cement every single day and never said a word to us about it.” Sydney smiled even bigger at the memory. “We worked so hard on it too” she and Ali both giggled. “It’s our initials and our soccer numbers, in case you couldn’t tell.”

Ashlyn and Dom both leaned in and looked hard at the design. There were indeed the letters A K L and S and the numbers 2 and 11.

“Is that #1 twice or #11?” Dom wondered aloud.

“#11” his wife clarified. “Kriegy was always #11 because she couldn’t be #1.”

“Stupid rule that only goalkeepers can be #1” Ali groused. “I never understood that.”

They all laughed and Sydney put her arm around Ali’s shoulder and pulled her in.

“What’s this then, in the box?” Dom asked, still smiling at the brunette’s remark.

“There’s another one in there for you guys to do together. I picked the blue color but you can paint it whatever you want...”

“Oh I love that!” Sydney squealed and hugged her best friend tightly. “Isn’t that perfect honey?” she turned and kissed Dom on the cheek as he grinned.

“Yeah, it’s lovely. Thanks you guys” he said sincerely, looking from Ali up to Ashlyn and nodding.

“I’ve got such a good feeling about this house” Sydney said cheerfully as she hugged her two favorite people in the world.


	36. What's Mine is Yours

“So it sounds like the visit went better than expected? Is that fair to say?” Mattie asked after listening to Ashlyn describe some of the details of Hannah and Meg’s visit almost two months ago.

“Yeah, definitely better than expected” Ashlyn agreed.

“Ali? What do you think? I know you were only there for the one day but you’re an important part of the equation” the therapist encouraged.

“The day I saw them was wonderful. I still can’t really believe it. But I still don’t trust Hannah for a second. I saw with my own eyes how she treated Ashlyn that day. She went out of her way to make sure Ash sat next to Meg at dinner and she went down and played the bad guy when it was time to leave the beach. She didn’t have to do those things and I definitely didn’t expect her to.”

“But...”

“But that’s exactly the opposite of the behavior I saw with my own eyes last year on several different occasions. I don’t know how one person can be totally different in the span of nine months. I don’t trust her” Ali finished with a concerned frown on her face.

“It sounds like you’re afraid of something. Do you know what that might be?” Mattie asked the brunette as she leaned forward and rested her forearms on her knees.

Ali let out a big sigh and closed her eyes for a minute. She and Ashlyn weren’t holding hands in that appointment. The brunette opened her eyes and glanced at her girlfriend sitting next to her on the comfortable leather couch.

“I’m afraid she’s going to take Meg away from Ashlyn at some point and refuse to let her see her anymore.” Ali kept her eyes in her lap as she pulled nervously on her fingers.

“And why does that frighten you?”

“Because it’ll destroy Ash.”

“I have the same fear” the blonde admitted in a small voice, causing both women to look at her. “Part of me thinks I should just end it so she can’t do that to me or to Meg. And part of me knows I can’t just end it. Meg means too much to me.”

“And Hannah knows she has that power over Ash. I think the visit was some sort of set-up and I know how paranoid that sounds. Whitney thinks the same thing” Ali confessed.

Ashlyn turned her head sharply to look at the brunette before she spoke. 

“Whit thinks so too?”

“MmmHmm” Ali nodded solemnly. “Whit trusts her even less than I do, if that’s possible” Ali said solemnly.

“Ashlyn you’ve already hit the nail on the head. You have two choices. End the relationship with Meg or continue it knowing there’s a very real chance that Hannah will try to use it to manipulate and or hurt you.” Mattie sat back in her chair and studied the blonde’s face as she waited for her to say something.

“I don’t want to end it. Meg’s worth the risk to me” the keeper spoke clearly and evenly as she met the therapist’s gaze.

“I don’t think anybody here is surprised to hear you say that” she smiled warmly at Ashlyn. “My only suggestion then is to keep the lines of communication wide open with Hannah and try to lay down some sort of groundwork for future interactions and visits with Meg. Is there someone else in Meg’s life that you could use as a point of contact if the worst happens and Hannah cuts you out of their lives?”

“What do you mean?” Ashlyn asked, confused.

“Is there someone else in Meg’s life that might be sympathetic to your situation? Someone who might agree to deliver your letters to her, if they thought it was appropriate, for example, instead of having Hannah simply destroy them or return them to you?”

“Do you think she’d do that? Stop giving my letters to Meg?” Ashlyn asked, her voice rising in concern.

“I have no idea. But this kind of forward thinking is what you’ll need to start doing in case she does.”

“Wow. I can’t believe Hannah would do that, but then again I can’t believe half of the shit she pulled last year either. I’ll have to think about that. Hannah’s brother was a pretty cool guy. Maybe he’d help me out if it ever came to that.”

“Anything else on that for now or should we move on?” Mattie asked, looking from the keeper to the brunette, smiling.

“Alright. So how is the living together going? It’s been a month now, right?” She looked from one woman to the other again and, when neither spoke up, she continued. “Ashlyn why don’t you start.”

The blonde fidgeted in her seat slightly and then turned her head and looked at Ali sitting next to her. She couldn’t help but smile at the beautiful brunette.

“I think it’s going well. September was a really busy month for both of us and we didn’t get to spend a lot of time together in the house so I think it’s a tough month to judge by.” She paused and reached for Ali’s hand, smiling again when the brunette interlocked their fingers together. “But now that my season is over I’ll have more time and hopefully we can spend some more time together.”

“Ali? How do you think it’s going so far?” Mattie asked.

“I think what Ash said is exactly right. It’s been busy and hectic and we haven’t had a lot of time to connect. She was away a lot with some road games. Then she got hurt and needed a couple of weeks to recover from that. And now here we are” she answered, looking at the therapist.

“You both seem hesitant to discuss this. Has there been a problem? Are you concerned about something?” Mattie prodded.

“Ali won’t move her clothes into the bedroom. She has a few things in one drawer, like she’s always had, but the rest is still in the guest room” Ashlyn said quickly, before she lost her nerve. “And she moved all of the books and things from her house up into her office. And I really wanted to mix everything up so all of her stuff isn’t just up in one room. I want her in every room” she looked sheepishly at her girlfriend, afraid she would be upset with her for having the conversation in front of Mattie before they had a chance to talk about it themselves.

“Babe, I put all those books and things away up there just so I could get the boxes out of the hallway. They were driving me crazy. You know I don’t like a lot of clutter around” Ali explained, rubbing her thumb across the back of her girlfriend’s hand as she tried to meet her eyes. “I think it’s sweet that you want to mix everything together. I told you that the last time we talked about it. Just because they’re up in the office now doesn’t mean they have to stay there.”

“Does that make sense to you Ashlyn? Do you understand why she put everything in the office?”

“Yeah, that makes sense. She really doesn’t like to have extra stuff around. When we come back from a trip she unpacks her suitcase right away just so she can put it away and not have to trip over it” Ashlyn grinned at her girl and squeezed her hand. “But why won’t you move your clothes into the bedroom Al?”

“Ashlyn” the brunette sighed, frustrated. “We’ve talked about this too. You know the fall is my busiest time of the year and when we decided to move in you said it would be ok if it wasn’t perfect right away. Our priority was the office so I could work and just getting all my stuff in, wherever it would fit for the time being. Then, in January, we could put everything where we really wanted it. Don’t you remember talking about all of this with me?” She was trying to keep her agitation in check but it was showing anyway.

“You sound frustrated Ali. Why are you frustrated?” Mattie interjected.

“I’m frustrated because we’ve talked about this before. And if we’re talking about it now, with you” she looked at the therapist and pulled her hand away from Ashlyn’s at the same time, “then that means it must really have been bothering you Ash. And if you would just ask me about it or tell me it’s bothering you then I could have reminded you on the spot and then you wouldn’t be upset and I wouldn’t be sitting here being frustrated.”

“But I thought you’d at least move your clothes into the bedroom. That just seems so basic and simple. And then the more time went by the more I thought about it...”

“Ok so which closet do you want? And which dressers? Have you emptied your clothes out of one of the closets or dressers that I’m not aware of?” Ali was trying to be patient but she felt like she was being reprimanded, in front of the teacher no less.

“No, but I thought we could talk about that...”

“Well that’s what I’m waiting for Ashlyn. We just haven’t had a chance. There’s no mystery here. I love you and I want to be with you and I want to live with you and I want to marry you and none of that has changed. The truth is I was hoping to talk with you about the bedroom and the office and the electrician and the garage during your off-week. But that didn’t happen...”

“Because of my concussion” Ashlyn interrupted quietly and looked down at the floor.

“Sweetheart” Ali turned sideways on the couch and put both of her hands on the keeper’s thigh. “Honey, look at me, please.” She waited for a minute until Ashlyn turned her face half-way towards her. “Shit happens. We had a busy month and the time we hoped we’d have to make decisions on some of these things didn’t work out for us. But that’s life babe. We’ve got to find a way to talk about these things before they get to the point where they’re bothering you. Or me.”

“You really were going to move your clothes in during my off-week?” the blonde asked shyly, putting her hand on top of Ali’s, still on her thigh.

“Honest to God” Ali raised her hand as if she was going to make a pledge. “There’s a list on my desk of the things to talk about with you during your off-week” she chuckled at how silly that sounded.

“No way” Ashlyn grinned.

“I’ll show you when we get home” the brunette offered and squeezed her girlfriend’s thigh. “But only if you promise to ask me these things before they start to bother you. This is important Ash. If you had just asked me, any night while we were getting ready for bed, why my clothes were still in the guest room I would have told you. And that would have been it.”

“This is excellent you two. Ashlyn do you understand why Ali was frustrated?” Mattie asked the blonde.

“Yes. Because I let the simple thing build up into a bigger thing when I should have just asked about the simple thing in the beginning.” The keeper sounded like a little kid repeating the rule she already knew but had broken anyway.

“Very good” Mattie said. “And Ali do you understand why Ashlyn was upset about you unpacking everything into the office and not moving your clothes into the bedroom?”

“Yes. She thought I didn’t really want to move in or wasn’t ready or something like that” Ali answered and felt silly having to spell it all out.

“Good. Now I want to go back to something you said when you were talking to Ashlyn. Ali is there anything that’s been bothering you about moving in that you haven’t shared with Ashlyn?”

“You mean besides the ongoing Emily thing?” Ali said, rolling her eyes and sighing.

“Don’t do that Al” Ashlyn said softly. “Don’t make it seem like that’s not important or valid. That’s a big deal and you’re working on it and I couldn’t be more proud of you for doing it. Or more thankful. I’m sure there are days where you wish you didn’t have to work on it. It’s hard, I’m sure, and I can’t thank you enough for putting that hard work in for us.” She lifted Ali’s hand to her lips and kissed it.

“I love you” Ali whispered and leaned forward to hug her girlfriend. 

“I love you too baby.”

Mattie gave them a minute before getting back to the topic at hand.

“So what’s bothering you about moving in Ali? It’s important for you to be just as open with Ashlyn as you expect her to be with you.” 

“Ok, well this is on the list too so you’ll see it when I show it to you at home anyway” she sighed again and took a deep breath.

Ashlyn was very interested in whatever Ali had to say because she obviously didn’t want to share it. The keeper squeezed her hand.

“It’s ok Al. Just tell me and we’ll talk about it. It’ll be ok.”

“We need to talk about the bills and how we’re going to handle them and who’s going to pay for what so we can make sure it’s divided up equally” she spoke carefully, trying not to use any words that might upset the blonde.

“Alright. Good. That’s a big one for every couple in every situation. Have you discussed this before?”

“Not really. I’ve asked about it a few times and we always agree to talk about it later” Ali answered and looked over at the blonde who was quiet and looking at the floor again.

“Ok. So who is paying for what now?”

“Ashlyn is paying for everything, except groceries and things like that. She lets me buy those sometimes. And sometimes I buy them if I go shopping without her. And sometimes she buys them if she goes shopping without me.”

“But everything else, mortgage, heat, water, electricity, cable, insurance, town taxes and fees, everything else Ashlyn is paying for?”

“Yes, but the mortgage is paid off” Ali answered, looking directly at the therapist as if to say ‘help me’.

“I’m sensing there’s something more to this one than just you haven’t had time to talk about it. Is that a fair statement Ashlyn?”

“I guess.”

“Ali, you said sometimes Ashlyn ‘lets’ you buy the groceries. Have you tried to pay for things before and she insists on paying?”

“Umm yes, but nothing big. Just little things like ice cream or mini-golf. Stuff like that. But she’s so sweet, she always tries to pay. That’s just how she is. Thoughtful and kind and generous.” Ali glanced at the blonde and then looked back to Mattie. “But she did get upset with me a couple of weeks ago for paying the electrician.”

“Ok, tell me about that.”

“I needed to have the electrician come and upgrade the outlets in the office and some other loose ends that needed finishing. He came and did the work one day while Ashlyn was at training and I paid him when he was finished. Ash came home just as he was leaving and asked me about it and I walked her through and showed her everything he had done. Now, for the record, it was mostly stuff that we had talked about more than once before.”

“And she got upset with you for paying him? Is that right?”

“Not right away. She didn’t seem upset at all when I walked her through everything. But later that night, when I got home, she told me she was upset about it.”

“Ashlyn, can you please tell us why you were upset?”

There was a long pause. Mattie kept her steady gaze on the blonde while Ali chewed her bottom lip.

“Ashlyn, please talk to us. This is important and we want to understand.” Mattie’s voice was quiet but strong.

After a few more minutes of silence the keeper finally spoke.

“I hate not having enough money to take care of the house. Or to give Ali everything she needs. I hate it.” The keeper kept her head down and her voice low and quiet. “I wasn’t upset with Ali. I was upset that she had to pay him, but I wasn’t mad at her. If that makes any sense.”

“Yes, that makes sense” Mattie offered softly.

“I want to give her everything she’s ever wanted and I can’t do that. I’ll never be able to do that. And I know it’s ridiculous to get angry about that, but I do. And if I can’t give her everything she’s ever wanted then I at least want to give her a house to live in. She shouldn’t have to pay for anything. It’s my house. I’m the one who decided to renovate a huge house. She didn’t choose to do that. She was smart. She bought a nice small house that she could afford and she improved it as time went by. I feel like I’ve saddled her with something that she didn’t ask for and it makes me feel guilty and angry.”

“That’s very good Ashlyn. Really, very good work. I’m not trying to frighten either of you, but finances are one of the biggest causes for trouble in relationships. It happens all the time. Somebody makes more money than the other and somebody makes less money than the other. That’s just the way it is. And if you both can’t find a way to be ok with that then it’s going to be very difficult to keep your relationship at a healthy level. I’m not saying that’s what the issue is here because I don’t know how much either of you makes. And I don’t have to know to help you through this either. But I do want to talk with you about a couple of things. First of all, in the time I’ve gotten to know Ali I feel very certain that I can assure you that she never expected to move in with you and not pay an equal share of the expenses. I also feel confident saying that she had a pretty good idea of what a house like that would cost to keep up. She did indeed choose to live with you and live with you in that house. There’s a reason you’re not living together in her old house. I don’t know exactly what it is but I’m fairly certain it’s because you both love your house so much.”

She paused for a minute to make sure everybody was paying attention before continuing.

“The other thing I want to talk with you about is your chivalrous nature. I think it’s a wonderful part of your personality and character but I do also think that it gets you into hot water sometimes. You don’t always have to be the knight in shining armor. I won’t speak for Ali on this, but most women don’t really want that anyway. Sure, sometimes it’s nice to have someone you love swoop in and solve whatever problem is in front of you. We’re all human and we all need help more than we usually want to admit. But most women just want a partner. Someone who will be there for them for the ups and the downs. Someone who will be there for all the boring little stuff as well as the exciting big stuff. If you’re off slaying dragons all the time then you can’t be there and be a good partner. Does any of that make sense to you Ashlyn?”

The keeper took a minute and raised her eyes to meet Mattie’s. They smiled at each other.

“I can still slay the dragons that come near our house though, right?” Ashlyn started with a chuckle.

“That’s exactly right. You joke, but you hit the nail on the head” Mattie said, grinning. “It’s ok to want to give the person you love everything they’ve ever wanted. But there are two problems with that. One is that it’s completely unrealistic. And two is that you’re assuming you know everything Ali’s ever wanted.”

“But why does it make me so angry?” Ashlyn asked softly.

The therapist considered the blonde for a minute, easily one of her favorite patients, and then spoke again.

“That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? No pun intended” Mattie laughed at her own poor choice of words and was relieved when Ashlyn started to giggle along with her. “I’m sorry about that. That was insensitive and very unprofessional.”

“Yeah, but that’s why I like talking with you so much Mattie” the blonde grinned at her again.

“I think we’ll need to spend more time on that part of this subject in our next session and see where it takes us. Does that sound ok?” she asked the keeper.

“Yeah, I think it’s time I figured that part out before I let it ruin something really great” she answered and looked over at her girlfriend and smiled.

“Can I say something?” Ali asked.

“Of course Ali. Please go ahead.”

“Everything Mattie said, from my perspective anyway, was correct. I absolutely chose to live with you in your house and I expected and still expect to pay half of everything. And I don’t know if you’ll believe this or not but Syd asked me once about why I didn’t just ask you to move in with me and I laughed in her face. Without even thinking I told her that the big old house was our house and it was our future and it was where we were going to live forever and raise our children and play with our grandchildren...” Ali had to stop because she had gotten emotional and was trying not to cry. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, well, except for you.” She reached for Ashlyn’s hand and smiled when the blonde squeezed it back. “Every day that I wake up in that beautiful house I am thankful that you decided to renovate it and live in it. Every single morning that thought goes through my head. I’m the luckiest woman in the world Ash, and I know it. You’ve already given me everything I’ve ever wanted. I’ve got you and we’ve got the house and if we never had another ‘thing’ I’d still be the happiest and luckiest woman in the world.” She leaned over and softly kissed Ashlyn’s lips. “But here’s the thing babe” she started again as she sat back, still holding her girlfriend’s hand. “It’s got to be 50/50 from now on or I won’t feel comfortable living there. I know you spent your life savings on that house Ashlyn. I know you did and I think about that a lot too. I think it was a smart investment and I think it took a lot of guts to do it and I love that you did it. But, as far as I’m concerned, we’re a team now. I sold my house to move into yours with you. I know you would give me anything you owned if I asked for it or if I needed it. And you’ve got to let me do the same for you. I know money is something you never had a lot of growing up and it sounds like you guys are going to talk more about that going forward and I think that’s great. But money is the last thing I think of when I look at you Ashlyn. Right now, yeah, I make more money than you do. But who knows how long that will last? In two years I could get fired and you could have a list of endorsement deals as long as my arm. I don’t care who makes the money or who spends the money. And I know it’s easy for me to say that because I’ve never had to worry about not having enough money. I can’t imagine what it was like growing up like you did babe. But I also can’t change the way I grew up. All I can do is be grateful. If it was up to me we’d go open a joint account tomorrow and just pool all of our money together and be done with it. But that probably makes you really uncomfortable so we won’t do that. We’ll go at your pace on this Ash. You’ve been more than patient and understanding in other areas with me. You’ve waited until I was comfortable with things. Well, now it’s my turn to be patient while you figure this part out. Ok?”

“50/50 from now on. I think I can handle that” Ashlyn grinned and kissed Ali’s hand again. “I guarantee I’m going to flip out a few times but I promise I’ll work on it. Thank you Al.”

“Equal partners” Ali smiled. “I love the sound of that. Even though I feel like I’m way behind after you spent so much money on the house. But I’ll just have to work on that too.”

//

That night, after dinner, they climbed the back stairs and made love. They took their time and cherished every touch and appreciated each sensation. It was almost like a slow-motion dance that had been choreographed over the course of the day when they had been physically separated but emotionally bound by their intimate therapy appointment that morning. When they finally felt sated it was Ashlyn who was moved to tears. Ali held her in her arms as the blonde cried softly against her breast. The brunette knew her keeper was ok. She wasn’t sure how, but she just knew that Ashlyn was apologizing and giving thanks and swearing oaths with those tears and that no words were needed from either of them. Ali leaned down and placed tender kisses across her girlfriend’s wet face and neck and chest. She brushed the tears away with her soft, strong hands and then pressed more kisses in their place. It felt like absolution. They were quiet for a long time, just breathing together and holding each other close. When they finally had to move because their bodies had become stiff from being in the same position for too long, the spell was broken or maybe the ritual had been completed. 

They put pajamas on and got ready for bed, standing close even as they brushed their teeth and washed their faces. Words were still not spoken, it was as if they had gotten used to the silence and didn’t want to frighten it away. As they got back into bed and snuggled together Ashlyn finally spoke.

“I think we can store a lot of shoes at the top of the back stairs, behind the bedroom door. I can build a shoe rack and fill that whole space.”

“That’s a great idea. I love it.”

Both women spoke quietly and deliberately at first, then gradually changed to a more normal pace as the conversation went on.

“Do you know which closet you’d like to have?” the blonde asked as she pressed a kiss into the top of Ali’s head.

“It doesn’t really matter. But I thought I’d take this one here by my side of the bed. You can have the one by the dressers.”

“Are you sure? It doesn’t matter to me either” the blonde made sure.

“Sure babe” Ali answered softly as she caressed the keeper’s right shoulder with her hand. “Which dresser do you want me to have?”

“We can each take one of the tall ones by my closet” she smiled as she called the closet hers. “And then we can share the shorter one here by the foot of the bed. What do you think?”

“I think it’s a great plan Ash.”

“And I like your idea of keeping our formal wear in one of the other closets. We don’t use it that often. It makes sense to keep it out of the way” Ashlyn offered. “I think the front bedroom is the least used so we can use that closet.”

“I thought you wanted to use the closet in Meg’s room?” Ali asked.

“Yeah, I did. But then we’ll have to clear it out every summer when she comes to visit and that seems like too much extra work to me.” She paused as she played back what she had just said in her head. “And if the way we use those rooms changes then we’ll just move our formal wear closet somewhere else.”

“I’ll get some totes this week while I’m on the road so we can store stuff under the bed too. We can put our sweaters there in the summer and swap it out seasonally. Or we can just keep our sweaters there permanently” Ali giggled. “Whatever we think we want to do.”

“Should we get another comfy chair for over there?” Ashlyn asked and nodded toward the fireplace by Ali’s side of the bed. “Grandma’s old dressing table chair is really uncomfortable. We could get a new chair for the table and something that matches it for the fireplace.”

“Definitely a new chair for the dressing table. That chair is very hard to sit in” Ali chuckled. “And are you just trying to put a comfy chair in here now because there’s finally a tv in here or what?” the brunette teased.

“No way honey. I know better” Ashlyn kissed her girlfriend’s head again. “Besides, now that I’m thinking about it, maybe we should just wait. We might need a rocking chair or something instead.”

Their future hung all around them that day from the moment Ali said she wanted to marry Ashlyn during their therapy appointment that morning, through the heady conversation about shared expenses and joint accounts and 50/50 partnerships and right up to that moment when Ashlyn mentioned the possibility of needing a rocking chair for their own baby. There was no escaping it and neither woman wanted to.

“Yeah, we just might” Ali said sleepily and leaned up to kiss the blonde. “Goodnight babe. I love you.”

“I love you too Al.”


	37. The Path to Enlightenment

The next morning after Ali left the house for her busy day of appointments Ashlyn moved all of her clothes out of Ali’s dresser and out of Ali’s closet and out of half of the dresser under the tv they were going to share. Then she moved all of her suits and dress shirts and dressy formal wear, including shoes, up to the closet in the front bedroom. It took about an hour, including the time it took her to re-situate the clothes she had moved from the dressers and closet. The keeper shook her head and chastised herself again. She promised herself that she would try to take some time each night after dinner and check in with Ali to see if there was something else simple they could talk about that would help them avoid another miscommunication like that. It really wasn’t a terrible problem to have. They were both trying to be so nice and patient with each other. But the brunette had said it best, and oh so eloquently, at Mattie’s office. Shit happens. Ashlyn vowed to be more proactive going forward.

The plan was for the couple to lay low at the house that weekend and spend some lazy time together. They agreed to go over the finances and divvy up the bills and try to get that part of the cohabitating up to speed with the rest of what had come so naturally to them. It was a long weekend, Columbus Day, but Ali didn’t have Monday off. She could work from home though and hopefully not have to do too much. It all depended on how busy they wanted the rest of her week to be. Ashlyn’s soccer camp was the next week so she would be busier than usual anyway. Ali could put lots of work in and then they could spend the evenings together. The blonde secretly wanted Ali to come and help at the camp. She was great with kids and a natural teacher and explainer of things. It was a terrible time of year for the brunette and if Ashlyn really wanted to have her at the camp she would need to think hard about the scheduling for it. Last year they had it in the middle of September but the Breakers season had ended almost a month earlier last year. The keeper would need to talk with her girlfriend. Ali might not be interested in the first place. It might be too painful, like coaching. 

The blonde ran through all of those thoughts as she showered and got ready to head into Cambridge to get her next tattoo. She had designed something for the inside of her right forearm and she was excited to have the work done. Ashlyn had been nervous about working with the new tattoo artist last time. Her comfort level with Lisa down in Melbourne was unmatched. But Lisa had recommended Naomi and she had done a good job on the Lady Liberty tattoo earlier that summer. And Naomi was easy to work with. They had collaborated better on this new tattoo because they had started it together. Lady Liberty had started with Lisa, and it was great. But Ashlyn believed the artist got invested during the conceptual stages of the design. Naomi sort of came in like a hired gun to do something she hadn’t designed. The blonde had a good feeling about this new tattoo. She always felt like a little kid on Christmas morning when she went to get fresh ink. She just couldn’t wait!

//

Saturday afternoon rolled around and the ladies were getting ready to go out to an early dinner in Boston and then to the home opener for the Boston Pride. The Breakers players that were still in the area or were local were going to meet them at the game. A group of Breakers staffers and a couple of coaches would be there too. Ali had coerced her contingent of friends as well. Ashlyn and Kristie Mewis and the other players had been posting about the game all day on social media and encouraging their fans to buy a ticket and go to the game. Ali’s company hadn’t made any final decisions on the group game packages yet but Hilary had done exactly what she said she would. Ali was cc’d on the email from the Olympian where she invited Steven to bring his whole team to one of their games. She also cc’d the Pride’s director of sales so Steven could work directly with her on all the details. Ashlyn had done the exact same thing but it was much more relaxed because there wouldn’t be a Breakers game until the Spring. 

Ashlyn walked out of the bathroom with her towel tied around her waist. She was inspecting her new tattoo and making sure she hadn’t gotten it wet in the shower.

“Want me to moisturize it?” Ali offered as she crossed the room, already dressed and almost ready to go. She still had to do her make-up.

“Yeah” the keeper answered, still squinting at the angry skin on her forearm. “You do a much better job.”

“It’s easier when you can use both hands” the brunette grinned and surprised the distracted keeper with a quick kiss on the lips. “Come in here where the light’s better.”

Ashlyn looked up, finally, and followed her girlfriend back into the bathroom.

“You look beautiful baby” she enthused and returned the kiss from a moment before.

Ali wore dark blue skinny jeans and a lightweight, long-sleeved black sweater with an open scoop neck. It hung down just below her hips with a slit on each side that went up about four inches. A simple silver pendant necklace hung around her neck and silver stud earrings dotted each earlobe. She would add the black boots with the heels when she got downstairs.

“Thanks honey” she smiled into the kiss but kept her distance from the half-naked blonde. “Now behave or we won’t have time to eat dinner before we meet everybody.”

They sat next to each other on the edge of the tub and Ali carefully applied the moisturizer to the new tattoo and tried not to get distracted by Ashlyn’s naked chest. She thought back to Wednesday night when she got home from Sydney’s and saw the tattoo for the first time.

“Ash it’s amazing. That owl is incredible” she had said enthusiastically as she held her girlfriend’s arm in her hands. 

The tattoo was black ink and it covered the entire inside of her right forearm. Up near her elbow was the top of the head of a beautiful owl. Almost the entire tattoo was the owl and the detail on it was unbelievable. The feathers were drawn so delicately and the eyes honestly looked like they were alive. The owl narrowed with the blonde’s arm as it travelled down near her wrist. About two/thirds of the way down her forearm the owl’s feathers got darker and tighter together. In the middle of that area the owl’s body turned into a bunch of dark trees on either side of a path with their dark branches reaching up and joining to form a canopy above the path. The path itself was dark but there was light at the end of it. There was a non-descript, black figure walking up the path towards the light, holding an umbrella over their head. The light from the end of the path in the distance cast a shadow behind the figure.

“The owl is a symbol of knowledge and intuitive wisdom. It was sacred to Athena and she was the goddess of learning and wisdom. It also sometimes means the ability to see a true reality, beyond illusion and deceit. That’s definitely something I need to work on” Ashlyn had explained that night.

“I love the path through the trees with the light at the end of it” Ali offered as she studied the inky and bloody skin.

“That’s the whole point right there, isn’t it?” Ashlyn asked softly. “We can struggle in the darkness, in the woods, in the rain, but we keep walking towards the light. It’s a search for higher meaning and enlightenment. I think that’s what life is all about. For me anyway.”

“It’s beautiful Ashlyn” Ali had said that night in their bedroom, “and so are you.”

Three days later, in the bright light of the bathroom, the tattoo looked angry and swollen. It would be beautiful before too much longer, but Ashlyn had to get through a couple more days of painful scabbing and swelling and then through a week of flaking and itching. 

“I love your hands” Ashlyn murmured as the brunette rubbed the moisturizer over the tattoo one last time, careful not to leave too much behind.

“Well that’s a good thing because they’re the only ones I’ve got” Ali chuckled.

“They’re so strong but then they’re soft and gentle, like right now” the blonde continued as her girlfriend turned the keeper’s hand over and rubbed the extra lotion into her skin there. “And your pinkies, they both stick out a little bit, like there’s more space between them and your other fingers” the keeper described lovingly. “They’re the most beautiful hands I’ve ever held” Ashlyn said, taking both hands in hers and squeezing them gently, her face full of love and devotion.

“You’re so sweet babe” Ali said bashfully. “What’s going on?” she asked innocently as she rubbed her thumbs across the keeper’s hands.

“Nothing” Ashlyn grinned at her favorite face. “I think about that every time you touch me and I never say it out loud. That’s all. I love you Ali.”

“I love you too sweetheart” the brunette cooed and kissed the keeper’s cheek.

As they ate dinner that evening they talked about Kyle’s drama with Nico as well as Chris and Beth’s wedding that was only two weekends away. Ashlyn talked about how difficult it was to come up with a best woman toast. Ali talked about how frustrated she was with Kyle not standing up for himself in his relationship. They also congratulated themselves for having such a productive day. The biggest achievement had been the dreaded finance conversation. After they finished breakfast they went into the mudroom and sat at the desk. Ashlyn pulled open the deep file drawer of the desk and lifted out a manila folder for each expense that she paid. There were payment stubs for each month all the way back to the beginning of 2015 when the house had officially become hers. There was a folder for her Jeep that had the documents showing that she owned it free and clear. There was a longer, legal-sized pocket folder that tied closed and that contained all the official papers that said Ashlyn owned the house and the lot next door, and proved that the house was paid for.

Ali had seen the blonde sitting at the desk writing checks out and putting stamps on envelopes a few times during the year but she had never bothered to pay attention to where things went after that. She was very impressed at how organized Ashlyn was. The neat hand-writing on the tab of each folder, the way the folders were organized inside the drawer and alphabetized by what the expense was. For example, the insurance bill for the house was filed under ‘Home Insurance 2015’ instead of ‘Quincy Mutual Fire and Home Insurance...2015’. There was a folder for ‘Cable 2015’ instead of ‘Verizon 2015’. It was the smart way to keep things organized and it was the same way Ali had done hers at her house. And there was a file divider that separated the expense folders from 2015 and the ones she was currently using for 2016. 

They spent an hour going over each expense that needed to be paid for the house. Then Ashlyn brought out a folder that had all of her bank statements in it and another one with her latest credit reports and another one with her endorsement contracts and another one with the information on what little was left in her savings account.

“Ash, you don’t have to show me all...”

“I know we’re not engaged yet or anything, but we both know that we’re going to get married” the keeper blinked and looked down. “Way to kill the romance, I know” she said sadly. “We may as well rip the bandaid all the way off and do this part right. Unless you don’t want to” she glanced nervously at the brunette as the horrible possibility that Ali wouldn’t want to marry her and be her partner for life anymore had just occurred to her for the very first time.

“Of course I want to Ashlyn” Ali stroked her arm reassuringly as they sat next to each other at the desk. “Let me go get mine.”

After another hour of looking over the most intimate details of their financial lives they were both a little shell-shocked. It was a lot of information to take in and process for both of them. Ashlyn had gasped when she saw how much money the brunette had in her different accounts. She had a savings account that was for emergencies only. That was where the money was that she would live off of for six months if she quit her job or got hurt or sick and couldn’t work for several months. She also had a small investment portfolio that she had started right after she bought her house. Her friend Liz worked for Fidelity and advised her every step of the way so it had been easy for the brunette to get her financial life in order, once she got the rest of her life out of the Emily chaos. She had started out small and added to it as often as she could and it had grown over the past five years. She had a small retirement fund set up through her work because they matched employee contributions. Liz had helped her do that right too. And she had a checking account which she used to pay her bills. She paid for everything she could with her credit card because she earned airline miles that she used to fly to Miami a couple of times each year. She also had to keep track of every penny that she spent that had anything to do with work so she could write it off as an expense at tax time. 

“Remember, I just sold my house so this is unusually high” Ali cautioned her girlfriend.

“It sure seems like night and day to me” Ashlyn replied hesitantly. “Are you sure you want to do this Al?”

“Ashlyn Michelle Harris will you please cut it out?” Ali said sternly, clearly annoyed with the ongoing drama simmering under the surface. “It makes me so mad when you do that.”

“Do what?”

“Put yourself down and make it seem like you’re not worth just as much love and respect as anyone else. God that drives me crazy.” Ali shook her head and leaned back in her chair as she let out a frustrated sigh.

Ashlyn just sat there, staring at the papers and numbers on the desk in front of her for several minutes.

“The only real difference in our money right now is my Fidelity account” Ali started, speaking clearly and evenly.

“Do you need my glasses or something?” Ashlyn half-joked and started to take her glasses off of her face.

“Ash, seriously, look” the brunette leaned forward again and pointed at some of the numbers they had written down in two different columns. “This is my house. You have that too, except it’s in the form of this big beautiful house. You have more money here in this house and these two lots than I have from my little house. So you’re actually ahead there on that one. Your savings account was much bigger than mine is or probably ever will be because I put as much extra money as I can into my Fidelity account. And your savings account is now here, all around us too. It’s not like you went on a bender and gambled everything away in Vegas or something. You made a smart, brave investment. That’s all.”

“I guess that makes sense” the blonde admitted, starting to feel better about things.

“It makes complete sense babe. I’m telling you. And our income is different but that could change next month when you get some more endorsement deals. I know it looks like I make more than you each month but we’re both in positions where that can change quickly. I work on straight commission and if I have a bad few months my paycheck will look a lot different.”

“Well don’t come down to my level just to make me feel better, for fuck’s sake” the blonde teased, but really meant it.

They both laughed and realized how great it felt to laugh like that after almost three hours of painful financial talk.

“Let’s eat something and then move to a more comfortable spot. My ass is killing me from sitting in this chair for so long” Ali giggled as they got up and hugged for several minutes.

They continued to talk as they ate lunch.

“Do you really want this house to be mine as much as it is yours?” she asked the blonde and watched her carefully as she answered.

“Absolutely. I already feel like it’s yours. I know you love it as much as I do.” Ashlyn paused, concerned. “Why? Does it not feel like yours?”

“It does feel like mine. And it’s one of the greatest gifts you could ever give me Ash. And I cherish it. That’s the honest to God truth.”

“Well good, at least we got that part right” she chuckled and nudged Ali’s knee under the table with her own.

“Then that money from my house is yours Ashlyn. It’s the exact same thing.” Ali spoke slowly and clearly and watched her girlfriend’s face as she swallowed the drink of water she had just taken.

They finished their lunch and sat on the couch in the family room with some of the paperwork spread out on the coffee table there. They made plans to open a joint savings account and put the money from Ali’s house into it for the time being. They would pay for house repairs and upgrades from there to start with. Ali was going to bring Ashlyn to meet with Liz and get a retirement fund set up sooner rather than later. They would take money from Ali’s house to get that started as well. And they would keep paying monthly house expenses out of their own checking accounts 50/50. The desk in the mudroom would continue to be where they kept all of the household expense folders that Ashlyn had neatly set up. Ali would add her truck payment folder to the drawer just to keep all the bills in one place. The brunette had a small fire safe that she had used at her house and they would start using it to keep the really important documents in. Things like the deed to the house and the two lots and Ashlyn’s Jeep’s paid off pink slip and their passports, even though Ali’s had expired. They also put a few hundred dollars in cash in there, just in case the worst ever did happen and the house burned down.

“That’s some of the most grown-up shit I’ve ever done” Ashlyn chuckled as they put everything away at the desk and tucked the fire safe into the corner under the dressing table in their bedroom.

“We kicked ass today babe. I’m really proud of us” Ali wrapped her keeper up in a big hug and brought their lips together in a slow kiss. “Thank you for doing all of that with me. I know you hated it and it probably stressed you out. I really appreciate it.”

As they got towards the end of their dinner and drinks that evening, before the game, Ali got quiet. When it lasted for more than a few minutes the blonde wondered if she was worried about their intense money conversation or her brother’s love life. She finished her whiskey drink and shook the ice in the empty glass as she set it down on the table.

“What’s the matter honey?” Ashlyn finally asked.

“Oh, nothing” the brunette tried to brush it off.

“Al, something’s bothering you. We can talk about it, whatever it is” Ashlyn prodded. “Is it Kyle?”

“Kind of” Ali looked up at the blonde sheepishly. “I feel bad talking to you about this though.”

“Well now you have to tell me” the keeper grinned.

“I just can’t understand why Kyle would stay in a relationship with Nico when he’s in love with him but Nico doesn’t love him back. And every time I go to talk to him about it I can’t do it because I feel like a hypocrite...”

“Because you were Nico and Kyle is Sarah” Ashlyn finished softly.

The brunette looked at her girlfriend, stunned. Her mouth was still open a little bit and Ashlyn chuckled.

“It’s not that hard to figure out hon” the blonde said kindly. “I know it still bothers you, probably a lot more than I even realize.”

Ali closed her mouth and looked down as she pushed the last bite of her salmon around her plate.

“Why do you feel bad talking to me about this? Is it because of Sarah?”

“Yeah, I mean, you don’t talk about Hannah unless you have to because of Meg.”

“Well that’s because Hannah was a bitch and treated me like crap” the blonde explained simply.

Ali looked at her girlfriend and chuckled, surprised by her openness and honesty.

“I’ve told you this before Al. I don’t have a problem with Sarah. I liked her a lot and she treated you well. You can talk to me about her anytime. I really mean that.”

“Ok I guess. It just feels weird.”

“Or don’t if it makes you feel weird” Ashlyn chuckled again and sighed.

“I just don’t know how to talk to Kyle about it” Ali got back to the main topic at hand.

“Kyle knows the story just like I do, better, I’m sure. He can probably put it together too. Maybe he’s waiting for you to talk to him about from your perspective? Or maybe he’s in so deep he can’t see it at all” Ashlyn leaned forward and took Ali’s free hand in her own. “I think you should talk to him and just be honest about how guilty you still feel. And tell him whatever else you would have done differently and why.”

“How do you know I would have done things differently” the brunette asked and met her girlfriend’s kind eyes.

“Because I know you Al. You probably still beat yourself up once a week because Sarah fell in love with you and got her heart broken.” 

Ashlyn’s words were steady but her voice was soft and kind. They were both quiet for a few minutes but kept holding hands.

“Have you heard back from her at all?” Ashlyn asked gently, not wanting to drop the subject.

“No, but I didn’t really think I would” Ali answered as she finished chewing her last bite of dinner. “I mean, I hoped she would write back or call and tell me she was doing fabulous and getting married next summer and had no hard feelings...”

“And had a big new project for you to work on with the firm too” Ashlyn teased, hoping to make her girl smile a little.

Ali grinned and looked into hazel eyes that were mostly brown that night. “Exactly.”

“Honey, I think you’re going to have to find a way to be ok with that part of your past. If you’re waiting for her to forgive you it might not happen.”

Ali let go of the blonde’s hand and picked up her glass of wine. Ashlyn could see the wheels turning in her head as she sipped the wine.

“Do you think Nico is purposely stringing your brother along or mistreating him? Do you think he’s doing something wrong by being with Kyle?”

“No, I know he cares about him. Kyle tells me all the sweet things he does for him and says to him and they have a fun time together and please don’t make me think about the great sex he says they have” she shuddered at the thought.

“And do you think it’s up to Kyle to decide whether he should continue the relationship or not?”

“Yes. But I think he should end it...”

“I know you do. I do too, for what it’s worth. But that’s not the point.”

“The point is that it’s up to Kyle” Ali said slowly.

“Exactly. So if it’s up to Kyle in that scenario why wasn’t it up to Sarah in yours?”

They were quiet again as Ali finished her wine and Ashlyn asked the waiter for the check.

“So how does that work?” the brunette began, grinning at her girlfriend. “Does the owl tattoo make you instantly super smart or do you just get a little bit smarter every day until your brain explodes everywhere?”

“Oh I’ll never tell” Ashlyn teased and gave her a dimpled grin.

//

The Pride beat the New York Riveters 6-3 in front of a half-full arena. The fans that were there cheered their hearts and lungs out. It was a long holiday weekend so it was a tough game to sell out or fill up. Ali took a couple of pictures of all of the Breakers players and then one with the players and the staff and coaches that were there. She sent them to Ashlyn who sent them to their marketing guru who promptly put them up on the team’s social media accounts. Most of their group went out with the Pride players after the game and had some drinks and a lot of laughs. It was fun getting to know some of the Pride players better and those ladies liked to have a good time. They were just as competitive as Ashlyn and Ali were so any bar game that was played was like a death match. 

//

Sunday afternoon, as they lay together on Ali’s old couch up in Ashlyn’s studio, the brunette laughed and tried to catch her breath.

“You are really stretching your rule now babe” Ali panted out.

“It’s totally legit. This couch is new to this house. Boom” Ashlyn playfully explained as she rolled off of her girlfriend and then reached across her body for the bottle of water on the floor next to them.

“I want some too please” the brunette remarked and caressed the keeper’s shoulder as she drank.

“Ok, open your mouth.”

Ali pulled the couch pillow up behind her head to prop herself up a bit and smirked at her girlfriend as she opened her mouth. Ashlyn carefully poured a thin stream of water out of the bottle and into the brunette’s waiting mouth. She resisted the urge to splash some all over her pretty face. Ali made a small sound in her throat to let her girlfriend know she had had enough water and then smiled when the blonde pulled the water bottle upright again.

“Thanks hon. I really thought you were going to pour that all over me. Thank you for not doing that” Ali giggled and then puckered her lips up so Ashlyn would lean down and kiss her.

“I’m not always a brat” the keeper murmured against her lips and then kissed her softly.

They re-positioned themselves, straightened out the sheet they had brought up to cover the couch and lay together in comfortable quiet for several minutes. It was almost 3pm and the sun had worked its way over to the driveway side of the house leaving the studio well-lit but not in the sun’s rays. 

“Do you know what I think is crazy?” the blonde asked as she placed a soft kiss to Ali’s cheek.

“Tell me.”

“Probably the best ocean view in the house is in the fucking attic storage space up here and no-one ever sees it.”

The brunette chuckled. “I don’t know though Ash. I think the view from these two windows on the side wall here are pretty good. You can see most of Good Harbor beach and almost some of Bass Rocks to.”

“How cool is it that we can debate which windows in our house have the best view of the ocean?” the keeper said appreciatively.

“It’s a high-class problem to have, that’s for sure” Ali added. She stretched her legs out and let another few minutes float by before asking her girlfriend a question she’d been trying to ask her for a couple of weeks. “Can we talk about your birthday for a few minutes?”

“We can always talk about my birthday” the blonde answered enthusiastically and adorably.

“Ok good” Ali giggled and kissed Ashlyn’s cheek. “I want to get you something and do something for you but I think I’m going to have to involve you in it so I do it right. Will that bum you out if it’s not a surprise?”

Ashlyn thought about it for a minute before she answered. “No, that won’t bother me princess. But it’s really sweet of you to ask.”

“Ok, so do you want to talk about it now or...”

“Ooooh, yes. Can we talk about it now? I thought you were going to make me wait until my actual birthday! Yes, let’s talk about it now. That’d be awesome.”

“My God you’re cute” Ali grinned and ran her hand across the blonde’s collar bone and shoulder. “I want to talk about it now because I think there still might be time to get it done by your actual birthday. Maybe not, but I’d like to try.”

“Ah, the plot thickens” Ashlyn wagged her eyebrows up and down a couple of times.

“I’d like to get this studio finished for you and set up and stocked with whatever you need up here. I almost ordered some lights and had the electrician hook them up when he was here but Kyle said I should really talk to you first.”

“Awww that’s such a great idea baby. Thank you” Ashlyn brought their lips together in a slow, sweet kiss. “But all I really need up here is time. I have everything else I need for the most part.”

“Kyle said you had talked about getting these cool lights that you could put different filters on and they got installed in the ceiling but on arms so you could move them around, almost like the dentist does with that big light over your face. I want to get those for you Ash.”

“Al, I don’t need those for my birthday...”

“I know you don’t need them, that’s the whole point. It’s something you probably wouldn’t get for yourself” the brunette pleaded her case.

Ashlyn looked like she was deep in thought as her eyes scanned the room.

“Please, sweetheart, let me finish this room for you. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me when you did the office for me. I think about it every time I’m in there and it makes me feel so loved and cared for. I really want you to be able to feel that too.”

“That was a pretty cool surprise, wasn’t it?” Ashlyn smiled, pleased with herself for pulling off the big office surprise for Ali’s birthday.

“Honey” Ali got up on her elbow and looked down at her girlfriend and placed her hand on her chest, “it was the most amazing thing ever. And I know this would be sort of a copycat thing, which is so lame, but this is your space up here and I know you’ve spent a lot of time figuring out exactly how you want it. I want to give you that same feeling I get when I walk into the office. Please let me do that for you.”

Ashlyn looked up into her favorite brown eyes and knew she wouldn’t be able to resist Ali’s heartfelt plea. But she hesitated another few minutes.

“I know it’ll be more money than usual for a birthday gift, but we’ll just be smart about Christmas gifts and not go overboard. And you spent so much money on my birthday. Man, when I think about that it makes my head spin. But this isn’t about that, not really. I’m not trying to compete or catch up or anything. I just thought, what can I get for you that you won’t get for yourself, and this is it.”

The blonde gave her a slow, deep kiss, cupping her face with her hand. 

“Why don’t you grab that sketch book on the desk over there and I can show you what I’ve been thinking about doing with the lights.”

“Yes! Thank you honey, it’s going to be so good, you’ll see” Ali said enthusiastically as she hurried across the room to grab the sketch book. “And I know you had me get this so you could stare at my butt and I don’t even care I’m so happy right now.” She giggled as she said it and then even walked backwards back to the couch once she had the sketchbook.

Ashlyn laughed out loud and kissed her voluptuous ass when she returned to the couch with another giggle.

“That’s all the gift I need right there baby. Thank you for that” the keeper sat up and hugged her girlfriend close as she sat next to her on the sheet covered couch. “I love you so much.”


	38. Happy Birthday Ashlyn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning

The second week of October was busy for both women. The whole region was a little cranky and sad. Boston was cranky because the Red Sox had just been swept out of the playoffs by the Cleveland Indians. And everybody was sad because David Ortiz had played his last game that Monday night. It was hard not to get caught up in the emotion of the Red Sox and especially Big Papi. To the fans, he was as important and beloved as Larry Bird and Bobby Orr and Tom Brady and the only good thing about that week was that the final game of that series had been played at Fenway Park so the city got to say goodbye to Ortiz at home. 

The soccer camp started on Tuesday and went through Friday and it was packed. Ashlyn had considered adding a second camp the following week but they couldn’t get the logistics to work. Next year they would know better and plan proactively for two camps. The keeper would really promote them and use her social media accounts more to get them sold out. Anybody with eyes could see how great the blonde was with kids and how much they enjoyed their time with her. Meanwhile, Ali worked her tail off getting quotes done and windows measured and service calls scheduled. She spent extra time getting everything entered into her company’s database each day so she wouldn’t fall behind. She and Ashlyn connected each night for dinner and talked about their days and made plans for their upcoming trip to Satellite Beach for Chris’ wedding. They made a friendly wager about how terrible Beth’s sister Ann was going to be and when, exactly, the shit was going to hit the fan.

Early the following week Ashlyn spent two days shooting a couple more commercials for Betty Sue’s with Hilary Knight. These were holiday themed and would be airing by mid-November. Ali had been serious about getting some sort of marketing program set up for Ashlyn and Hilary and when she had spoken with Hilary about it in more professional surroundings, after the house party and the golf event, the hockey player had been excited to participate. Ken Krieger put his daughter in touch with a colleague of his that specialized in sports and entertainment law and with the help of that lawyer and the two sports agents that Hilary and Ashlyn already worked with, the new Knight-Harris Company was born. Nobody was sure exactly what to do with it yet, but it was there and waiting for them as soon as they did.

Ashlyn’s 31st birthday was on Wednesday that week and it really just could not have come at a more inconvenient time. The blonde was busy with the commercials Monday and Tuesday and then she was leaving for Satellite Beach on Thursday. Ali was still working on getting the studio finished for her but they had agreed that it wouldn’t get finished by her birthday. The lights had to be ordered and they wouldn’t be delivered until the beginning of November. In the meantime, Ali wanted to take the keeper on a day trip up North to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage and stay overnight and then take their time driving back down the next day. It was one of the best things you could do in New England in mid-October and Ashlyn had never done it before. The brunette thought she could make it work the weekend before her birthday, right after the soccer camp week, but she was concerned about stressing her girlfriend out. Ashlyn had a lot going on that month and if she needed to be home that weekend between two very busy weeks then Ali didn’t want to drag her away. The brunette was so torn about what to do. She had reserved a room at the beautiful and historic Mount Washington Hotel up in Carroll, NH and if they weren’t going to use it she needed to cancel the reservation. Finally, not knowing what else to do, she just had to ask the blonde about it.

“Honey I need to ask you something and I want you to be totally honest with me. There’s no right answer and my feelings won’t be hurt one way or the other, but I need to know so I can either keep making plans or cancel the reservation” Ali blurted out one evening as they sat in the living room after dinner. 

It was the first day of Ashlyn’s soccer camp and the blonde was still talking about how great the kids had been that day. She looked over at the concerned face of her girlfriend and chuckled. For Ali to just unceremoniously spit something like that out she knew the brunette must have been worrying about it for some time. The keeper opened her arms, inviting Ali to come and sit next to her on her end of the couch so they could cuddle and talk. The brunette put her highlighter down on top of the blueprints she had been working on at the coffee table and went to her girl.

“What’s going on princess?” Ashlyn asked as she hugged her and kissed her temple. “I promise I’ll answer honestly, whatever it is.”

Ali explained her dilemma and told the keeper as few details about the specific location and plans she had already made as possible.

“I don’t want to add to the hectic month you’re having, but I really want to celebrate your birthday right babe.” Ali looked up into tawny hazel eyes that almost twinkled as they gazed back at her. The blonde was enjoying her adorable girlfriend. “What do you want to do Ash?”

After talking about it some more Ashlyn said she wanted to do it. She would be staying in Satellite Beach for the week after the wedding so they wouldn’t have another chance to make the trip until November and the leaves would all be gone up there by then.

That Friday afternoon, as soon as Ashlyn got home from the last day of soccer camp and got showered and changed, they made the almost three hour drive north to the Mount Washington Hotel. The drive was beautiful and the gorgeous red, orange and yellow foliage was their landscape everywhere they looked. Except for the giant Mount Washington looming in the distance. They held hands over the console and sang along to one of Ashlyn’s playlists as Ali drove her truck north. They arrived just after 5pm and got checked into their room and back down in time to order drinks from the bar and watch the glorious sunset on the patio. It was one of the most beautiful things Ashlyn had ever seen. That was until Saturday evening when they took the train up the mountain and watched the sunset from there. The keeper was a beach girl through and through but even she could feel the undeniable pull of the mountain. There was something about it. People havd often described a magnetic feel when they talked about how they were drawn to a mountain. Ashlyn had never understood it before. There were folks who talked about living near a mountain the same way she talked about living near the ocean. She was starting to understand.

The hotel was unbelievable. It opened to guests in 1902 but had been expanded and renovated several times over the years and had recently been updated and modernized. In the winter months it was a destination resort for skiing and every other winter sport you could think of. In the warmer months you could golf, ride horses, enjoy the zip line courses that guided you around and through the trees and the mountain, or swim in the beautiful outdoor pool. All year round you could use the world-class spa, the indoor pool and Jacuzzi, the gym or the hiking trails. There was a four diamond full course fancy restaurant inside the hotel and you actually had to dress for dinner. No jeans or shorts or anything like that allowed. You didn’t have to get your formal wear out but you couldn’t look like a bum either. There was a full bar on the first floor of the hotel and then a different bar down on the basement level. They called it ‘The Cave’ and it was a speakeasy from Prohibition times. 

“How did you find this place again?” the blonde asked as they ate dinner their first night. “I mean, I know it’s not hard to physically find, but how did you know about it?”

“Erica’s company used to have their annual sales meetings up here. They stopped a few years ago. The sales reps could bring their spouses and her boss was cool and let anybody who was single bring a date or a friend if they wanted. Erica took all of us at one time or another, between boyfriends. I think Liz was first, then me and finally Syd. She’s still a little salty about being the last one.” Ali explained, talking over the sounds of the live jazz band playing in the corner of the formal dining room.

“This is incredible” Ashlyn enthused. “And this steak is delicious too. I feel like I just stepped back in time but still have awesome wifi” she chuckled. “Talk about the best of both worlds.”

They spent the evening downstairs in the speakeasy drinking and laughing and playing pool. There were old photographs framed and hung all over the hotel and they looked at every single one in the speakeasy, except for whatever was in the men’s room. There were two bartenders and they both stayed in character as if it were actually still 1930 and Prohibition was still in effect. Ashlyn asked them a million questions and enjoyed all of their answers, often nudging Ali in the ribs to make sure she had heard the interesting, historical answer too. It was a romantic but fun night and they enjoyed the new acquaintances they talked with at the bar before they went up to their room.

Ali let the birthday girl decide how she wanted to spend their Saturday. Whatever she wanted was what they would do, except that she had already reserved seats on the sunset train for that evening. She had also reserved a horse-drawn carriage ride for after dinner but Ashlyn asked her to cancel it. 

“I’ve never been able to do those. I have a tough time with hayrides too” the blonde confessed the next morning as they ate breakfast on the sunny veranda.

“You feel bad for the horses don’t you” Ali asked sympathetically as she reached across the small table and squeezed the keeper’s hand.

Ashlyn looked at the brunette, surprised that she had been able to figure it out so quickly.

“How did you know?” the keeper asked as she held her girlfriend’s hand and tilted her head a little to one side.

“I have the same problem but I can usually get past it, at least for most of the ride. But you’re such a softie you probably can’t even get in the carriage can you?” Ali wasn’t teasing her. She understood how her girlfriend’s empathetic heart worked. The brunette was probably a softie and Ashlyn was on a whole other level.

Ashlyn looked down sheepishly as she answered. “No. I don’t even like to see them. But when I do, I try to focus on and believe that they are well-cared for and that they might actually enjoy what they’re doing.”

“And how does that work for you?” Ali teased her a little as she rubbed her thumb across the back of her hand and smiled at her.

“Not great” the keeper grinned and rolled her eyes at her own weakness.

Ashlyn’s day consisted of a hike after breakfast, followed by a stop at the stables to watch the horses just being horses, and then a canopy tour on the ziplines. After lunch they went for a bike ride, choosing the easier mountain path instead of the off-road adventure tour. They went back to their room and had sex and then a nap and still managed to get down to the spa for their couples massage before dinner. Ashlyn chose the later dinner reservation knowing they’d be wiped out after their busy day. She didn’t want to feel like they had to go and do something after dinner because there was so much time left in the evening. So they had a later dinner and then walked around the hotel some more, admiring everything from the marble pillars in the lobby to the ornate décor of the famous ‘Gold Room’. They held hands or walked arm in arm the whole time. The keeper had kept one part of the day from her girlfriend and Ali was very confused when they stopped back at their room at 9:30pm and Ashlyn asked her to put her bathing suit on. As always, Ali’s trust was rewarded when they spent the last hour of their day in the outdoor hot tub watching the stars above them and sipping champagne.

“Babe, I’m supposed to be pampering and surprising you. It’s your birthday weekend” Ali complained half-heartedly, not able to keep the smile from her face.

“You are Al. This whole weekend has been just perfect. I can’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed.” She smiled at her beautiful girlfriend and clinked their glasses together in a toast. “Here’s to Joseph Stickney. Thank you for building such a magical place.”

They left Sunday after breakfast and got home late Sunday afternoon after stopping at several fun and touristy spots along the drive. They had laughed and teased and joked around at each pitstop, making sure to take a picture or a selfie too.

That night as they drifted off to sleep Ali kissed her girlfriend’s cheek and snuggled into her side with one last question.

“Did you have a good time honey?”

Ashlyn grinned, even though her eyes were half closed from exhaustion. 

“Best birthday weekend ever.”

//

On Ashlyn’s actual birthday the brunette started her day by giving her a sweet birthday card with a picture of the lights for the studio in it and a hand-made and colored IOU card. Ali surprised her by coming home for lunch and giving her a potted marigold plant. The marigold was Ashlyn’s birth flower but giving her flowers when she was about to leave for almost two weeks didn’t seem smart or thoughtful. Ken, Vicki and the boys took them out for dinner to celebrate the keeper’s birthday which touched Ali more than it did the blonde. Her dad had never gotten so involved with one of her girlfriends or boyfriends before and it meant a lot to the brunette. After dinner they went home and Ali helped her finish her laundry and packing. Ashlyn practiced her best woman toast a couple of times and then they finally made it to bed.

Ashlyn and Ali had started a new tradition called ‘send-off sex’. They made sure they had some alone time before every away game or trip so they could have ‘send-off sex’. Ashlyn, of course, had coined the name and the brunette had hoped it wouldn’t stick. But it did. It had even grown on her over the last few weeks of the season, although she wouldn’t admit it to the keeper. 

“You’re like a dog with a bone” Ashlyn teased her girlfriend as they lay in bed that night. “You just won’t leave it” she chuckled and ran her hand through Ali’s long, dark hair as she tried to catch her breath.

Ali had just given her an orgasm and was camped out between the blonde’s legs as she usually was right after Ashlyn came. If the brunette’s head was anywhere near the keeper’s crotch she just curled up with her head on Ashlyn’s thigh.

“You know how I feel about my spot” the brunette challenged. “I can’t help it.”

“But what if I want to hug you up here” Ashlyn tried, for the third time, to pull her beautiful girlfriend up towards her chest so she could wrap her arms around her and kiss her. “Pleaaaassssse?”

Ali relented with a smirk and crawled up the keeper’s body and into her waiting arms. She buried her face in Ashlyn’s neck and kissed it softly, several times. The blonde’s smile went from ear to ear as she finally got what she wanted.

“Thank you princess.”

“Well it’s your own fault for having such a gorgeous pussy” Ali quipped and nibbled on her girlfriend’s jaw before kissing her soundly on the lips.

They kissed for several minutes and then made out passionately for several more. Ashlyn knew the brunette was turned on from making her come and the keeper wanted to get working on delivering her release. She moved her hands all over Ali’s back and squeezed her beautiful bare ass roughly making the brunette moan into her mouth. She bucked her hips up into her girlfriend and she moaned even louder and then bit down hard on Ashlyn’s bottom lip.

“Ow” the keeper yelped but Ali was already licking and kissing it to soothe it.

“Sorry babe, I get so carried away with you...you just drive me crazy” she mumbled around Ashlyn’s lips and tongue as she continued to kiss her deeply.

Ali’s hands moved up and down the blonde’s sides as the kiss kept deepening. She reached up with one hand and pulled Ashlyn’s hair hard, harder than usual.

“Ouch. Damn baby, you’re getting wild” the keeper said, breaking the kiss and smacking the brunette’s ass. “Don’t make me get the restraints” she threatened playfully, never expecting Ali to reply.

The brunette stopped moving and looked down into her girlfriend’s face as her whiskey colored eyes darkened even further. Ashlyn felt a jolt of electricity pass between them as Ali licked her lips. She could see the brunette thinking and considering.

“You wanna tie me up?” she finally suggested with a lascivious smirk.

“I was only kidding Al,” the keeper began but when she saw her girlfriend’s face fall in disappointment she changed her tune. “But I’d really like to...if you’re ok with it.”

Ali leaned down and kissed her slowly. “Ok” she answered shyly and kissed her again. “I love you Ash.”

The blonde rolled them over as she kissed her girl passionately. They both moaned and clutched at each other as they made out again. Ashlyn broke the kiss and sat up, straddling the brunette’s hips and admiring the view beneath her. Ali’s lips were red and swollen and her hair was all over the place. It was up and spread out against the pillow on both sides of her head and it reminded the blonde of her siren tattoo. Ali had a smile on her face with her mouth partly open and the darkest eyes the keeper had seen in a long time.

“Fucking hell you’re sexy” Ashlyn husked out as she felt her clit twitch against her girlfriend’s stomach.

“Get the ribbons before I change my mind” Ali urged seductively and patted the blonde’s ass.

The keeper crawled to the edge of the bed and reached into the drawer of Ali’s nightstand while the brunette re-positioned herself in the middle of the bed, kissing Ashlyn’s ass and running her hand up through her still-wet folds on her way. The blonde grabbed one red satin ribbon and then the other, not bothering to close the drawer. She moaned when she felt Ali’s hand between her legs and her lips on her ass.

“I’m not trying to talk you out of this, at all” Ashlyn clarified as she moved back to her girlfriend’s side. “But I just want to make sure you’re ok with this.”

“I want to try it Aah. I don’t know if I’ll like it or not but I want to see what it’s like” she answered as she reached up and caressed both of the blonde’s breasts.

“Alright. Just tell me if you want to stop and I’ll take them off you.” Ashlyn leaned down and kissed her lips softly. “I love you.”

Ashlyn’s headboard was slatted so there were plenty of places to tie the restraints. They talked about it for a minute and decided to try Ali leaning up against the pillows in the middle of the headboard with her hands tied above her head. Ashlyn put the brunette’s wrist through the loop of one restraint and then tied it above her head. They agreed it wasn’t too tight and did the same with the other wrist and restraint. 

The blonde sat back next to Ali’s knee and admired her work. The brunette looked amazing with her arms up above her head, wrists crossed. Her legs were also crossed as she squirmed trying to get some friction on her over-excited clit. Having her sexy girlfriend hover over her for the past ten minutes adjusting the ribbons had only ratcheted up Ali’s desire level.

“Like what you see?” the brunette purred and licked her lips.

“Very much” Ashlyn gulped and got her head in the game. “You look hot as hell tied up like that for me baby” the blonde said with a sexy smirk. “I’m going to fuck you so good...Mmmmmmmmm...”

It almost wasn’t fair. Ali was already so turned on that she would probably come in a matter of minutes. They would have to try the restraints for round two, after one of them had already had a big orgasm, so the teasing could last longer. Oh well, lesson learned for next time.

“I know you’re not big into feet but I love your feet. Your feet are mine now” Ashlyn provoked as she spread Ali’s feet wide. 

The keeper crawled over Ali’s left foot, sideways, and leaned down on her elbows so she could kiss and lick her right foot. She felt the brunette’s leg tense up at her touch and she stretched her right arm up and caressed her hip and then her thigh and kept moving up and down her leg to relax her while her mouth worked on her foot. Ashlyn didn’t want to spend too much time because Ali really didn’t like much footwork but she thought it was important to start there and make sure the brunette knew who was in charge. 

“Mmmmmm, delicious” she said as she licked the top of Ali’s right foot again and sucked on her ankle.

She glanced up at her girlfriend and was pleased to see her open mouth and dark eyes and her chest moving up and down. Ashlyn lowered her hips down over Ali’s left foot and felt her wet center press against the top of her foot. It was a calculated risk because the brunette was such a kicker but the keeper was ready with her right hand if she needed to hold her leg down.

“Oh my God” Ali gasped as her left foot twitched at the contact. She felt her girlfriend’s wet pussy lips sliding on top of her foot and couldn’t believe how turned on it made her. “Fuck” she groaned as she bit her bottom lip and watched her sexy keeper moving around on both her feet. 

“Uh oh, better clean up this mess I made over here” the blonde murmured as she switched feet, licking Ali’s left and riding her right.

She felt the brunette’s legs tremble and turned her head to see her trying to rub her thighs together.

“Oh do you have a little itch that needs to be scratched” the keeper asked coyly as she crawled up between the brunette’s spread legs “right about here?”

Ashlyn pushed her thighs apart, bent down and placed one strong, broad lick to Ali’s center and just barely kissed the top of her clit. Ali moaned loudly and tried to sit up and reach for her girlfriend.

“Ashlyn, please” she whined as she leaned back against the pillows, frustrated.

The blonde kept crawling up her body and placed kisses to each breast and then sat up, straddling her again. 

“How’s that itch now?” she smirked again and then gave Ali a passionate kiss while she reached up and rubbed both of her arms to make sure blood was still flowing. 

The brunette groaned when she tasted the keeper’s own passion in the kiss. She kissed Ashlyn back hard, sucking on her tongue and trying to bite it. She reached her neck out as far as it would go to keep the blonde from breaking the kiss. Ashlyn could see that her chest was already close to heaving and she was starting to pant under all of the excitement.

“Jesus, babe, please...”

“Ok, you’ve been pretty good” the keeper said, kissing her way down Ali’s chest and stomach while her hands cupped her small perky breasts and squeezed.

She felt the brunette’s hips buck up into her as she moved down her body. Ali whimpered as she felt the keeper’s hands all over her breasts and her stiff nipples.

“Yessssss” she hissed out with her head back against the pillow and her eyes most of the way closed.

Ashlyn moved her mouth to her girlfriend’s sensitive spot beneath her left hip and sucked on it hard. Ali gasped out and opened her eyes as a gush of passion pooled between her legs.

“Fuck, yeah, oh Ash...mmmmmm.”

The keeper brought her lips down to Ali’s hot, wet center and hummed appreciatively. “Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.”

The vibrations shot through Ali’s body like a live wire and she sat up off of the pillows again, straining at the red ribbons.

“Fuck you taste good Ali” the keeper pushed both of the brunette’s legs up and felt her own breath hitch at the magnificent sight of Ali’s sopping wet pussy just waiting for her. “Goddamn fucking sexy as fucking hell” she breathed out as she dove into her girlfriend’s silky folds.

She pushed her whole face into Ali’s center and let her juices cover her nose and chin and even her cheeks. She licked all around outer lips and inner lips and she teased the brunette’s entrance before sending another broad lick up again. Ali was trying to ride the keeper’s face and Ashlyn let her get some good pressure for a couple of seconds before pulling her face back and thrusting her tongue inside the brunette’s core. She heard a deep, low groan come out of Ali’s mouth as her legs twitched again. 

“Oh fuck, yeah babe, thank you God” the brunette practically shouted. Ali could not believe how hot this was. She was frustrated beyond words that she couldn’t touch the blonde, but something about being tied up and at Ashlyn’s mercy was a complete turn-on for her. She felt open and vulnerable and defenseless and sexy as fuck.

Ashlyn fucked her with her tongue hard and fast for several minutes while her fingers kept tugging and tweaking the brunette’s erect nipples. She loved the way Ali was writhing and starting to roll her hips with the blonde’s thrusts. Ali planted her feet on the bed and thrust her pussy up into the keeper’s face, desperate for more pressure. Ashlyn felt the brunette’s walls start to close in, hoping for more friction, and she swirled her tongue around a few more times before pulling her entire face away. She crawled up Ali’s body again and left her thigh between the brunette’s legs for her to grind against. She immediately started grinding hard while the keeper brought her face right in front of Ali’s face.

“You’d better clean me up” the blonde suggested hotly.

Ali eagerly started licking the keeper’s face and kissing her lips. She moved her mouth all over Ashlyn’s face until every last drop of passion was gone. The blonde leaned up higher and put one of her breasts in front of the brunette’s mouth while she rubbed both of Ali’s arms again.

“Mmmmmmm” Ali moaned as she sucked the keeper’s breast into her mouth and flicked the nipple with her strong tongue. She worked fast, knowing the blonde would take the beautiful breast away before too long. She released it and then licked her way around it, nipping once or twice on each side. She pulled the hard nipple between her lips again and then grazed it gently with her teeth. The brunette started to suck on the whole breast again but Ashlyn pulled it away. She tenderly moved long brown hair off of Ali’s pretty face as their eyes met. The keeper saw the frustration behind the chocolate orbs and leaned in for a slow kiss.

“Do you want to come now beautiful?” Ashlyn asked as she caressed the brunette’s breasts and nipples with her hands again, but kept eye contact.

“Yes, babe, please...please Ash.”

The plea was so desperate that Ashlyn almost released her hands that minute. She had never been good at denying Ali anything. What made her think she could do it now? But she remembered how good her climax had been when the brunette had tied her up and she steeled her resolve. She kissed her girlfriend again and pinched her nipples.

“Oh!” Ali exclaimed and tugged again at the ribbons as she tried to reach out for the keeper.

The blonde slid down her body again, touching and caressing every inch of it along the way. She didn’t dawdle, it was time to get her girl off, but she made sure to make contact with as much skin as possible. Ashlyn moved her mouth down and placed it on top of the brunette’s swollen clit. She sucked on it gently, knowing how close her girl was to the edge, and slowly licked around it. 

“Oh my fucking God” Ali breathed out as her whole body came to life. Her legs twitched again and her abs tensed and she tried to reach for her love, again.

Ashlyn kept licking her clit and took her left hand and pushed it against the brunette’s chest to hold her back against the pillow. She ran her right hand down Ali’s right leg and then back up it. She pulled her left leg up and pushed it over sideways, out of the way. She turned her head to look at her girlfriend and waited for a minute until she returned her gaze. Ashlyn winked at her and then pushed her two middle fingers deep into her dripping pussy as Ali let out a guttural sound the keeper had never heard her make before. She could already feel her walls clenching around her long fingers but she spread them around inside and then began thrusting slowly.

“Jesus, yesssss.”

The blonde stayed at the steady medium pace for a few minutes, still not moving her left hand and still keeping the licks on her clit nice and light.

“Unnnhhhh, yeah babe, fuck that feels good.”

The keeper felt Ali’s right leg start to shake and knew she didn’t have much longer. She caressed Ali’s face with her left hand, brushing her thumb along her cheekbone and then brought that hand down to rub and knead her breasts, avoiding her nipples. Ashlyn increased her thrusting so she was pumping hard and fast, making Ali’s whole body move with her. God she loved that. Having her face right there where she could see and smell and hear everything her gorgeous girlfriend’s pussy did. She felt her own juices flood her center as she knelt next to the brunette.

“God you are so sexy Al. I fucking love the way you taste and feel and smell. Fuck!” Ashlyn enthused just before she sucked Ali’s clit into her hot mouth and started flicking it quickly with her tongue.

“Yessss!” Ali yelled out, loudly. “Unnnhhhh, fuck, yeah, oh...fuck!”

She came as soon as the blonde pinched her nipple. The combination of fast and furious thrusting, flicking and pinching did the trick and she came apart beneath the keeper. The intense orgasm took over her body and sent it reeling in every direction. She kicked both legs out straight and then brought them both right back up again, narrowly missing Ashlyn’s head with the right one. She pulled against the restraints as her muscles contracted and her body convulsed. The brunette flopped around like a fish out of water as she let loose a string of expletives, shouting Ashlyn’s name.

The keeper successfully dodged the leg kicks, and tried to keep her fingers inside to help Ali come down. But she finally had to take them out because the brunette was just flailing too much. Instead, she moved up next to Ali’s shoulders and pulled her torso up a few inches so she could relax the tension on the ribbons and slip her hands out, one at a time. Ali didn’t even know the blonde was there, she was so out of it while she rode out her orgasm. Ashlyn knelt there next to her by the head of the bed and got so turned on that she couldn’t stand it. She shoved two fingers into her own core and started thrusting fast. The keeper rubbed her breasts and nipples for a minute before moving to her clit. It only took another couple of minutes before she got herself off, groaning and shaking as she felt her girlfriend roll over to hold her and kiss her as she came down. They lay there together, panting and sweating for a few minutes.

“Are you ok?” Ashlyn asked as soon as she could talk again. She opened her eyes to look at Ali but her eyes were closed, her face one big smile. The keeper reached for her girlfriend’s arms and rubbed them gently to make sure the circulation was flowing.

“MmmmmHmmmmm” Ali hummed and slowly opened her eyes. “I’m so good babe. I thought you killed me but I’m good.” 

They both chuckled and hugged each other, kissing soft skin behind ears and down necks and on collarbones.

“Are your arms ok though?” the keeper asked again, not satisfied with the first answer.

“They’re fine, I mean, they don’t hurt or anything” Ali answered, looking at her girlfriend’s concerned face. “They’re good, see.” She leaned back and moved her arms around.

“You were pulling really hard against the restraints and I just wanted to make sure. That’s all” the blonde clarified, sounding a little defensive.

“Aww honey, don’t get mad” Ali cooed sweetly. “I’m just...that was a real doozy, that’s all” she explained and rolled onto her back again.

“I’m not mad Al, I just got nervous. I was afraid you got hurt” the keeper said as she curled up against Ali’s side.

“See, you thought it was pretty funny when I jumped off of you so fast when you were tied up and I thought you couldn’t breathe. Not so funny anymore is it?” Ali quirked an eyebrow at the blonde and then grinned.

“No, not funny anymore. I get how worried you were now.” Ashlyn leaned up and kissed along the brunette’s jaw as she moved her hand around her soft skin. “So your orgasm was good, yes?”

Ali laughed out loud and her nose crinkled as she opened her eyes to look at the blonde. “Yeah, you could say that.”

The brunette curled up on her left side and reached back to pull Ashlyn behind her so they could spoon. The keeper reached down and dragged the covers up over them as she got into position as the big spoon. Ali pulled Ashlyn’s arm around her chest and up to her mouth so she could kiss her hand.

“I love you so much Ashlyn. Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

“Of course baby, always” the keeper replied and placed a kiss on Ali’s shoulder. “So what did you think?”

“Well it sucked not being able to touch you. That was the worst. I hated that.”

“Yeah, that’s no fun is it?” Ashlyn agreed and nuzzled into the brunette’s neck. 

“I don’t know” Ali started and paused to think. “I’m not sure about it. I mean, I can’t argue with the orgasm” she chuckled and kissed Ashlyn’s hand again, “but you’ve given me amazing orgasms without having to torture me like that. I did like feeling vulnerable with you though, because I trust you so much. But I don’t know.” She thought some more. “And it has nothing to do with not being in control so don’t even try to tell me it does. It’s just about teasing.”

“But that’s exactly what not being in control is about, at least at this level. Remember, these restraints are the most basic level of a whole bondage and domination world” the keeper waited for a minute. “That’s never been something I’ve been into, honestly. If it’s something you want to try, then of course...”

“No thank you” Ali answered quickly. “I know lots of people love that stuff and I’m not judging anybody’s kinks. But it doesn’t do it for me.”

“Ok then” Ashlyn chuckled. “It’s not for me either. I have a hard enough time dealing with the people I love being hurt or getting hurt while they live their lives. I sure as hell don’t want to be the cause of any of it, even in a controlled environment like our bedroom.” The keeper kissed Ali’s shoulder again. “I almost took you out of the restraints twice” she giggled and buried her face in the brunette’s neck.

“Aw, my big softie. I love that about you.”

“But then I remembered how great my orgasm was when you had me tied up and that kept me going. And lord almighty did you look hot tied up like that. I can’t lie about that. I mean, obviously, I got so worked up I couldn’t wait for you to even finish riding out your orgasm” the blonde chuckled softly.

“Yeah, I lost my mind when you were tied up. You looked incredible.” Ali enjoyed the memory. “It seems like the restraints are more for the teaser for sure. I mean the great orgasm is the benefit for the one being tied up but I feel like I had more fun than you did when you were tied up.”

“Me too. Definitely” the blonde agreed, nodding her head. “So it sounds like we feel the same way about it then.”

“Shocking” Ali said and they both giggled. “So as long as we keep the teasing part short I’m ok doing it every once in a while. What about you?”

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’m in.” 

“Please God let us remember to put the restraints away before Mrs. Riley gets here tomorrow morning” Ali prayed out loud.

“We’ll get them when we make the bed. Don’t worry.”

“I love you Ash.”

“I love you too baby.”

“Happy Birthday and happy ‘send-off sex’” Ali murmured around the blonde’s knuckles as she sleepily kissed her hand again.

“Thanks princess. Looking forward to the ‘welcome home sex’ too” Ashlyn whispered as she drifted off to sleep.


	39. Best Woman

It was almost 11pm on Friday night and the rehearsal dinner and gathering afterwards was winding down. The rehearsal itself at the church had gone fine and Ann was a perfect practicing maid of honor. When they got to the restaurant on the beach in Melbourne she started drinking and proceeded to get stinking drunk before dessert was even served. She was sitting at a table with Beth and Chris, Ali and Ashlyn and Malcolm, Chris’ good friend and groomsman. The other four members of the wedding party were seated together at the next table. One of the other groomsmen brought his girlfriend and Beth’s friend from high school brought her boyfriend. The rest of the two families were spread out over two more tables. It was a casual eatery and everybody was relaxed and having a good time. Most people had a drink or two with dinner but nobody was drinking more than that, except for Ann.

She sent her meal back, twice. She laughed too loudly and at the wrong times. She resisted all attempts to engage in pleasant conversation and insisted on telling unflattering stories of Beth’s drinking days. Ashlyn looked across the table at her brother but he just shook his head, calling her off. Beth had already told him that she was expecting Ann to be horrible and that she was ready for it and she wasn’t going to give her sister the satisfaction of getting a rise out of her. Beth made Chris promise to just let it go, no matter what came out of Ann’s mouth. He wasn’t happy about it but he gave his bride-to-be his word that he wouldn’t interfere. And Beth and Ann’s parents seemed oblivious to the whole twisted dynamic between the siblings. They either couldn’t see or they chose not to see it. 

After an hour or so Chris had had enough. He politely stood up, kissed Beth on the cheek and excused himself from the table. He went and told the waiter not to serve Ann any more alcohol and then he went to the men’s room to try and cool down. Malcolm had been doing his best to defuse the situation with humor but it wasn’t working very well. When Ann tried to order her next drink and was told she had been cut off she got belligerent and, somehow, louder. Beth told the waiter to bring her what she had ordered and keep serving her. The plan was to get through dessert and then just put her in a cab and send her home. They suffered through another 45 minutes of Ann’s snark towards and disrespect for her own sister. They put their dessert orders in and Ann got up to go to the ladies room. She was unsteady on her feet and Malcolm started to get up to help her but Ali rose first.

“I’ve got it. I need to use the ladies room too” the brunette said with an even smile.

Ashlyn and Chris exchanged a look as they watched Ali help Ann across the room. The two women used the two stalls in the bathroom and Ali waited for the drunk by the sink. They hadn’t spoken since they left the table, except for Ann thanking the brunette when they finally got to the bathroom.

“Ready to go?” Ali asked sweetly as Ann finished drying her hands.

Ali put her arm around Ann’s waist as she had on the trip to the bathroom and they made their way through the door. Instead of going back to their table, Ali turned them towards the exit and walked the maid of honor outside.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Ann slurred as she slowly realized they weren’t going back to the table.

“We’re just going to get some fresh air Ann. You could use it.”

“Oh please, like you have any idea what I need” Ann challenged with a harsh laugh.

“For starters, you need to sober up and then get home and get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day for all of us, but especially for your sister” Ali tried to be calm and level-headed as she wrangled the drunk woman.

The fresh air seemed to cut through some of the alcohol and Ann appeared to hear what Ali had said. They sat together on one of the benches outside and were quiet for several minutes.

“They all hate me” Ann said quietly, looking straight ahead.

“Nobody hates you. Why do you think you’re here? Your sister picked you to be her maid of honor...”

“Oh shut up, will you? You don’t know the first thing about my sister or me” Ann snapped.

“I know more than you think. My brother is a recovering addict and I know how hard it can be to watch someone you love go through that. I know every situation is different but...”

Ann laughed derisively and interrupted Ali again.

“Is this where you tell me your sob story about your drunk-ass brother and how much you love him?” she sneered at the brunette as she spoke. “Just save your breath. I don’t care.”

Ali stood up, temper flaring and fists clenching. She willed herself to calm down before speaking or swinging.

“Listen Ann, I don’t know what your problem is, and I’m starting not to care, but I’m telling you that you better not make it Beth or Chris’ problem tomorrow” Ali spoke clearly but not loudly. She was trying not to make a scene at the front entrance of the restaurant.

“Oh fuck you. What are you going to do about it anyway?” Ann challenged again and actually looked at the brunette for the first time since they’d left the bathroom.

“Is everything ok out here ladies?”

Mike Harris stood behind Ali. Neither of the women had seen or heard him come through the door until he spoke.

“I’m not sure Mike” Ali said after taking a couple of seconds to recover from his surprise entrance.

Mike moved so he was standing directly in front of the maid of honor before he spoke.

“Well I think Ali said it pretty clearly, from what I heard” he began, his voice steady and calm, his beautiful blue eyes boring into Ann’s dull ones. “Either you get your act together and behave like a decent sister and maid of honor or you won’t be a part of the wedding tomorrow. It’s that simple.” Mike stood still and waited for his words to sink in. 

“I don’t know who you think you are talking to me this way...” Ann started but Mike cut her off.

“I’m the father of the groom and the future father-in-law of the bride and you should be ashamed of the way you’ve behaved tonight. If you were my daughter I’d have pulled you out of that room hours ago.” Mike’s voice was still steady but the vein on the side of his neck was pulsing and he was starting to get really upset. “I’ve never seen anything more disgusting than the show you put on tonight to humiliate your own sister. Just disgraceful.”

Ali hadn’t moved a muscle. Ann held his gaze and closed her mouth as he spoke to her. She swallowed hard a couple of times and the brunette was afraid the woman might throw up.

“The decision is yours Ann and I hope you make the right one. For some reason none of us can understand, Beth wants you to stand up next to her tomorrow as her maid of honor. She’s family now so I’m doing everything I can to make sure she gets what she wants but I will not hesitate to take you out of whatever room you’re in if you put one toe out of line tomorrow.” His nostrils flared and his chest heaved as he delivered his impassioned speech. “Do you understand me?”

Ann swallowed one more time and then tried to laugh off the threat and confrontation as she rolled her eyes dismissively.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me” he replied and leaned in a little bit. “I asked you a question and I expect an answer.”

“Fine. Whatever” Ann answered quietly. Her eyes shot daggers back at Mike but her face looked resigned and a little sad.

“Don’t try my patience. I am dead serious about this and if you think I’m bluffing, you just watch how fast I throw you out the door tomorrow.”

A cab pulled up a few feet away from them and Mike motioned for the driver to come over.

“I believe you owe Ali an apology” he said firmly as he moved to Ann’s side to help her up off the bench.

Ali took her other arm when she saw what Mike was doing. Together they helped her to her feet where, thankfully, she seemed steadier than she had inside the restaurant.

“What for?” Ann asked.

“She’s shown you kindness and friendship tonight and you have been nothing but mean and spiteful to her. That’s why.”

The maid of honor looked at Ali and seemed to actually consider what Mike had said. She looked down and straightened her skirt as she cleared her throat.

“Sorry” she said. It was a little defiant but Ali knew it was mostly embarrassment and alcohol and regret. She couldn’t be sure what the regret was about though. 

“See you tomorrow Ann” Ali replied, but didn’t smile.

Mike helped the cab driver get her into the cab and he paid him in cash and then added another bill to the payment and asked him to make sure he watched her get inside her door.

Ali smiled gratefully at Mike as he walked back over to her with a small smile on his face.

“Thank you Mike. I’m not sure where I was going after that but luckily I didn’t have to find out” Ali chuckled and patted the man on his shoulder.

He surprised her by giving her a hug and speaking quietly as he did so.

“Thank you Ali. I’ve watched you defend my daughter and this family more than once and I’m glad I was able to finally help.”

//

The wedding was scheduled to start at 5:00pm on the beach so they would be finishing the service just as the sun went down on the west-facing beach. The hotel they were using for the pre-wedding preparations was also where they were having the reception afterwards and where many of the guests would be spending the night. Beth and her two bridesmaids were getting ready in one of the rooms near the beachside entrance and Chris and his two groomsmen were doing the same thing in their own prep room. Ashlyn was nervously pacing in the hotel lobby, waiting for Ann to show up. It was almost 4:30pm and unless she arrived within the next ten minutes she wouldn’t have time to change into her maid of honor dress before the service.

Finally Ann walked through the automatic door and looked around the large lobby, trying to get her bearings.

“Ann!” Ashlyn yelled anxiously and then smiled as relief washed over her. “You’re here.”

“Of course I’m here. Why wouldn’t I be here?” she asked dismissively as she kept looking for a sign pointing her in the direction of the bridal party.

“Well, it’s pretty late and everybody was nervous that you weren’t going to get here in time. It’s this way.”

Ashlyn walked the maid of honor to the bride’s prep room and then continued down the hall and around the corner to check on her brother. Ali had told the keeper about the confrontation between her father and Ann. She told Ashlyn not to worry about doing anything but being there for Chris. Ali felt confident that she and Mike would be able to handle whatever Ann could dish out.

Thankfully the ceremony was short. There weren’t any extra readings, just the reverend delivering the welcome and opening prayer, then the vows, the blessing and exchanging of the rings and the presentation of the newly married couple to the assembled guests. The only thing Ann could screw up was walking down the aisle, which she almost did but Ashlyn proved to be stronger than the maid of honor had anticipated. The blonde kept a firm grip on Ann’s arm as they made their way down the carpeted path towards the trellised arch with the ocean behind it. When Ann stumbled and dropped her bouquet of flowers just as they got to the front of the seating area, the keeper held her up and then steadied her. The crowd audibly held their breath with surprised gasps. Mike, who was sitting in the front row with Gram and then Tammye, made sure to sit on the aisle so he could have easier access to the troublesome maid of honor and the exit if he needed it. He reached down and picked up the bouquet and then stood to hand it to Ann. He gave her one of the steeliest stares Ashlyn had ever seen in her life. Ann swallowed hard, thanked him, and let Ashlyn escort her all the way over to where she was supposed to stand. 

The only other job the maid of honor had to do, besides make sure the bride’s train and dress and flowers were looking good and in the right places, was to hand the ring to her sister when the reverend asked her for it. The two other bridesmaids were already prepared to look after Beth’s dress and flowers and Ashlyn had told them not to let Ann keep the ring for any reason. One of them kept it and would hand it to Ann when the reverend asked for it so nothing could happen to it.

The ceremony went smoothly and Ann wasn’t too obtrusive. She had a brief coughing fit when Beth began her vows but the bride just smiled and locked eyes with Chris as she waited for it to pass. Both of their vows were heartfelt and sweet. Chris got choked up as he told all the people in his life how much he loved his wife-to-be and then almost totally lost his composure when he turned to get the ring from his sister and saw the tears in her eyes. The reverend pronounced them husband and wife and everyone cheered as the couple kissed and then giggled.

After the rest of the pictures were completed and the bridal party had re-joined the guests in the ballroom of the hotel for the reception, everyone relaxed and started to enjoy themselves. Whatever crap Ann tried to pull now would be easily handled by Mike or the groomsmen. Ali sat at a table with the Harris clan and spent time talking with a couple of Ashlyn’s cousins that she was starting to get to know better. Nobody had really thought far enough ahead to worry about the toast from the maid of honor. As Ann stood and held the microphone in front of her mouth, Ali quickly scanned the room. She got up and moved towards the DJ in the far corner. Ann had already started speaking by the time the brunette reached her destination. Ali cringed as she heard the first of many passive aggressive back-handed compliments echo over the sound system. Mike Harris, to the surprise of everyone except for Ann, Ali and Ashlyn, stood up and took a step away from his chair at one of the closest tables to the bridal party table at the front of the room. Everyone could see him and wondered what he was doing. Ann met his glare and winked at him.

Ashlyn saw the exchange and was about to go and take the microphone from the maid of honor’s hand herself and save her father the embarrassment. Chris felt his sister tense up in her seat next to him and wondered what the hell his father was doing and then he realized. Despite his requests, which had come straight from Beth herself, to just let Ann do what Ann was going to do, his family was about to intervene. He closed his eyes and squeezed Beth’s hand on the table.

“I got this” Ashlyn said quietly, so only her brother could hear.

But before she could even push her chair back the microphone cut out. Mike and Ashlyn looked at each other and the elder Harris slowly sat back down. 

“Great job sis” Chris teased as he nudged the keeper and chuckled.

The DJ’s voice came across the speakers apologizing for the technical problems and said they’d be ready for the best woman’s toast in a few minutes once he had it corrected. A song came on and everybody unclenched everything they had been clenching. Ann had continued to talk for a minute before she realized the microphone had stopped working. She looked out at her audience and laughed as she sat back down again, defeated. She had gotten more than a few licks in though and Beth’s mother dabbed at tears in her eyes. For once, at least one of their parents acknowledged the problems that affected their family so deeply.

Ashlyn caught sight of her beautiful brunette taking her seat again at the Harris table. God she was gorgeous. Ali wore a charcoal grey dress with thin straps that went up over her shoulders. It had a wide and low neckline that cut straight across her chest, just above her breasts, and it fell to just above her knees. She had put her hair into a low bun at the back of her neck so it didn’t blow all over the place during the ceremony on the beach. Her strappy heels and small purse matched the dress and she wore silver jewelry and deep red lipstick. Ashlyn should have known. She wasn’t positive exactly what Ali had done, but she knew her girlfriend had just spared Beth a whole lot more embarrassment and pain. The blonde waited until Ali met her gaze and then mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to her with a wink. Ali blew her a kiss and smiled.

“You did good kid” Tammye said and patted the brunette’s arm after she took her seat again.

A few minutes later the keeper stood up to give her toast. She looked so much better in her black suit than the other groomsmen did in theirs, it almost wasn’t fair. Beth and Chris had decided to stay with a simple but elegant color scheme for the wedding. Beth looked beautiful in her white wedding gown and the bridesmaids and Ann all wore pretty, pale blue dresses. Each dress was a little different but they were all the same color. Chris wore a black tuxedo with a vest and a matching pale blue bow tie and cummerbund over his white dress shirt. It was a little formal for a beach wedding but it’s what he wanted to do. He explained to his sister that he wanted to look nice for Beth and for all the wedding pictures. The groomsmen and Ashlyn wore black suits with matching pale blue ties. Ashlyn had jazzed hers up a bit by wearing matching suspenders and a pocket square. Her blonde hair was up in a tight bun and her make-up had been done to make her eyes pop more than usual that night. Ali felt her breath hitch when her girlfriend stood up and turned on the microphone.

Ashlyn made a joke about the previous microphone problem and then made several more good natured ones about Chris and how smitten he had been from the very moment he had met Beth. She told the story about how her brother had tried to help out with the laundry late that night in Gloucester and ended up breaking the washing machine. In her funny story she placed full blame on him, winking at him as she spoke in her high, girlish voice. But she kept in the part where Chris had asked her to make sure to tell Beth how helpful he had been that week. Chris looked down and blushed as he heard his sister’s words and Beth leaned over and kissed his cheek.

“Beth, you’re a Harris now and there’s no backsies” Ashlyn quipped as she got to the end of her toast. “We’re far from perfect but we love each other and we take care of our own and we’ll always have your back. No matter what.” She paused for a minute to settle her emotions. “Chris has always taken care of me, all my life. It wasn’t always easy, was it Bubba?” she asked softly and chuckled as the audience laughed along with her. “That’s why I know he’ll take the very best care of you Beth, for the rest of yours. Here’s to the happy couple” she raised her glass and waited for everyone else to do the same before finishing her toast. “May your happiness be complete, your marriage long and prosperous and may every wedding speech you hear be funnier and shorter than mine.”

The rest of the evening was fun and fairly uneventful. Ann got drunk again but Mike was ready. He and Malcolm quietly escorted her into a cab and sent her home about half-way through the reception. At that point even Beth and her parents seemed relieved. Chris and Beth wanted to do some of the traditional wedding things like Beth throwing the bouquet to the single ladies and Chris removing the bride’s garter and throwing it to the guys. They cut the cake together and fed each other without smashing cake all over each other’s faces. 

When it was time to toss the bouquet Beth took a good, long look at the women gathered on the dance floor and then turned around and hoisted it high and long. She had seen Ashlyn and Ali standing at the back of the group, not really wanting to participate too actively. Ashlyn always felt bad because she was tall and athletic and had long arms so she really could have caught every bouquet at every wedding she had ever attended, as long as the throw wasn’t one of those horrible ones that went viral on social media. So she usually hung in the back and if the bouquet made it that far and she didn’t see a way out of it, she would catch it. Otherwise she would cheer happily for whomever made the prized catch. Depending on the amount of alcohol she had consumed, Ali tended to be very competitive pursuing the bouquet. She didn’t really believe that it meant anything, but it was technically a party game so she played to win. She wasn’t one of those obnoxious women who shoved people out of the way or anything. But she would jump for it if it came her way.

Beth’s throw just missed one of the strobe lights above the dance floor. It was a real sky ball. Most of the ladies lost sight of it as they squinted up into the bright lights. It didn’t become visible again until it bounced off of somebody’s head near the back and then into a shoulder towards the front. It careened off of two more women, moving lower each time until it finally was about a foot off the floor in the middle of the group. They had all spread out a little trying to keep their eyes on the bouncing bouquet and there was just enough room for Ashlyn to take a quick step forward and stretch one of her long legs out. She got her foot under the bouquet just before it hit the floor and kicked it up about four feet into the air, spinning it and sending some flowers flying out of it at the same time. Ashlyn’s cousin reached for it but missed and batted it back towards the rear of the group again. Ali wasn’t even paying attention at that point. She was laughing at the keeper’s save of the day and poking Ashlyn in the side when the bouquet literally landed in her chest. The brunette reflexively wrapped her arm around it and everyone cheered. She was shocked but she held it up victoriously in one hand and then curtsied as the other ladies patted her on the back and clapped. Ali grinned at her girlfriend and the blonde leaned over and kissed her cheek with a smirk.

The garter belt was another funny moment. Beth sat in a chair in the middle of the dance floor while Chris strutted around her like an idiot to a song the DJ played. Everybody watched as he moved closer to his new wife and finally got down on his knees in front of her, discreetly pushing up her dress to about mid-thigh on one leg. He was going to pull Beth’s garter down her leg using his teeth. They had already talked about it and Beth had given him her blessing. Right when he was about to start she challenged him.

“Ok hotshot, but can you do it with your eyes closed?”

The crowd laughed and clapped and egged him on, Ashlyn being the loudest among them. Never one to back down from a challenge, Chris closed his eyes and went for the silk garment with his lips. It wasn’t visible yet, still hidden by the dress. He felt it and bit down on it as the music continued to play. He was starting to make some dance moves as he pulled the garment down Beth’s leg and over her knee.

“Keep ‘em closed now!” Beth cajoled as he made it down to her ankle.

Some people noticed something was different and started to talk among themselves about what it might be. Some began to laugh quietly. When Chris’ closest friends and groomsmen realized what was happening they cracked up. Curious, but undeterred, the groom pulled the garment over his wife’s foot when she lifted her leg up for him. He grabbed it in his hand and thrust it above his head as he stood up to celebrate, finally opening his eyes. Everybody was laughing by then and Ashlyn, standing next to Ali could barely move because she was doubled over in hysterics. Beth finally joined the laughter and winked when her husband looked down at her, confused. 

“Way to go stud!” Ashlyn shouted at her brother as she walked towards her new sister-in-law and gave her a high-five as the room erupted in more laughter.

Chris finally looked up at his prize. Instead of the pale blue silk garter he thought he was removing from his wife’s sexy leg he saw the oversized red g-string he had jokingly planted in his sister’s laundry basket at the wedding shower two months earlier. His face contorted in shock, anger and then embarrassment as he lowered his hand and his head in defeat.

“Ok, you got me sis” he admitted as he hugged the keeper. “But I can’t believe you corrupted my beautiful wife like that.”

“Oh relax Bubba. She’s got the real one on the other leg for you” Ashlyn explained and pushed him back towards his wife.

The DJ was good and they danced the rest of the night away. Ashlyn found Ali for every slow song he played and they held each other close. The blonde had shed her suit jacket right after dinner and had her shirt sleeves rolled up to her elbows and her tie had been loosened around her open collar. Ali couldn’t believe how sexy she looked like that and wanted to take her upstairs to their room and have her way with the beautiful blonde right that minute. Instead, they danced together, heads close and hands clasped. Beth’s side of the family was pretty religious. They were very Catholic and were already upset that the ceremony hadn’t been held in an actual church and that there hadn’t been three different readings from the bible. Ashlyn and Ali felt lots of eyes on them as they moved together on the dance floor. They kept it clean and chaste, even when they kissed every now and then. 

“I can’t imagine how many heart attacks we’re causing tonight” Ali wondered aloud and giggled as they danced.

“It’s easy for me to forget how hard it was to be gay down here sometimes” Ashlyn added as she kissed her girlfriend’s lips sweetly. “Thank God I don’t have to go through that again.”

“It wasn’t easy up in Massachusetts either” Ali began, “but yeah, this is a bit much right now” she chuckled as Ashlyn spun her.

“Do you want to give them a little show?” the keeper asked mischievously.

They talked for a few more minutes and as the song came to a close Ashlyn spun the brunette again and then dipped her low so her head was only a couple of feet off the floor. Some people watching gasped, thinking Ali was going to fall or hit her head. Instead, Ashlyn pulled her up a little bit and brought their lips together in a slow, deep kiss. It was beautiful and romantic and sexy all at the same time. They finished the kiss and the keeper pulled Ali up to her with a huge smile on both of their faces. They walked arm in arm towards the bar with several other couples who had been dancing, still feeling the burn of dozens of pairs of eyes on them.

“That’s our girls” Gram said to Tammye who was sitting next to her at their table. “Good for them.”

//

Leaving the blonde in Florida after the romantic and fun weekend was harder for Ali than she had thought it would be. Maybe she was extra emotional from the wedding or the fact that she had her period. Whatever the reason, she clutched her girlfriend tightly in the airport Sunday night.

“I don’t know why this always feels like the absolute end of the world” the brunette whined, her face pressed into Ashlyn’s neck as they hugged. “I hate it.”

“I know. It sucks” Ashlyn agreed as her voice caught, full of emotion. “I don’t know why you keep letting me do this...” she joked half-heartedly as Ali pulled back and smacked her arm.

“It’s not funny” the brunette said and chuckled, despite her best efforts not to.

“No. It sucks and I hate it too.”

“So why are you leaving me for eight more days again then?” Ali questioned, not really meaning to make her girlfriend feel bad.

“Just think of all the work you can get done without having to stop and come hang out with me every night.”

“Ashlyn” Ali pulled back and looked deep into her favorite hazel eyes. “That’s not funny. You know there’s nothing else in the whole world I’d rather do than spend time with you. It kills me when I’m so busy at work and you know it...”

The keeper took advantage of Ali’s slight pause for breath and kissed her deeply, ending the argument before it could even get started.

“I know baby. I’m sorry. I love you.”


	40. Exes

The eight day separation was hard for both women, as it always was. It was nice to still be so in love that you actually missed your girlfriend but it was also sad and lonely and difficult. Ali dove into work, desperately trying to finish the year strong and get her boss off of her back. She also finished getting everything she needed for Ashlyn’s studio. She had taken the list of supplies the blonde had made and doubled everything and carried it all upstairs. The only thing they were still waiting for was the lights.

She made Sydney come over on Wednesday instead of going to Stoneham. 

“This house is so fucking big Al. Seriously, you could just, like, walk from room to room and then start over again and enough time will have gone by that you can check and see if the plants grew at all.” Sydney shook her head as they tried to decide where to eat their dinner. “Let’s just eat in front of the tv like we usually do.”

“Yeah, but, living room or family room?” Ali asked, further illustrating the point.

She got lonely in the big old house all by herself. She made a point to work from home Thursday morning so she could try and have tea with Mrs. Riley. Ali realized that she hadn’t spoken to the woman in several weeks because their schedules just hadn’t overlapped. She wasn’t even sure if Ashlyn had told the woman that Ali had officially moved in. 

The brunette let Carm and Jessie take her to a Halloween party in Boston Saturday night after having dinner at her dad’s house. Ali had a great time but was a little worried about how much she missed Ashlyn. She decided that it was ok to miss the love of her life as long as it didn’t make her stop doing fun things and living while she was away. It made good, logical sense. She promptly ignored her own sound advice the very next day when she spent almost the whole day playing Fallout 4 on her PS4 in the family room. It was a nice break and she literally didn’t think about anything but surviving in the wasteland of Eastern Massachusetts for about eight hours that day.

Halloween was Monday night and she made sure all the outdoor lights were on. She hung some Halloween lights that she used to use at her old house in the two front windows as well as the bay window on the driveway side of the house. There was a candy bowl at both the front door and the side door just in case the kids didn’t know which door to use. Ali made a mental note to get to know her new neighbors better. She realized as she stood there the few times the doorbell actually rang that she didn’t know who anybody was, kids in costumes or grown-ups. The houses were pretty spread out on their street and they had the empty lot next to them so it really wasn’t a lot of people to meet. She wondered if Ashlyn knew them or not.

//

The keeper spent four days in Satellite Beach and Orlando visiting friends and surfing. Liz had taken a couple of vacation days so she could go with her to Orlando and hit Disney, Epcot and Universal Studios. They didn’t see each other as much as they used to, but they were still very close friends. Liz had been one of the only people to stick by Ashlyn in middle school and high school when things were really rough and the blonde would never forget it. Chris and Beth were on their honeymoon so the keeper got to spend time with some cousins she didn’t always make time to see when she came back to Satellite Beach. She surfed with her dad more that week than she could remember doing in years. He made the time for it and so did she. When he drove her to the Melbourne airport Thursday afternoon Mike surprised her by getting emotional when they hugged goodbye.

“What’s the matter Pop? You ok?” she asked as she hugged him, giving him a minute more to try and get his sniffling under control.

“You’re a good girl Ashlyn” he said quietly as they pulled apart from the hug. He had tears in his bright blue eyes. “I’m just so proud of you and the woman you’ve grown into.” He stabbed at his tears with his thumbs. “That’s all” he shrugged and smiled sheepishly, embarrassed by his show of emotions.

“I love you too Dad” the keeper whispered as she kissed his cheek and hugged him one more time.

Ashlyn spent Thursday and Friday nights with Whitney and Ryan at their apartment in North Carolina. They went to the UNC women’s soccer game Thursday evening and had a blast catching up with old teammates and coaches and staff. They spent all day Friday in and around campus visiting their old haunts and laughing until their faces hurt. Whitney was that friend that knew the real Ashlyn better than anybody, well, except now for Ali. The keeper didn’t really figure out who she was herself until she was at college so Liz was already at an automatic disadvantage. Whitney and Ashlyn had gone through the fire together at UNC. They had learned how to be adults together and they would be forever bonded because of it. They sat eating a late lunch Friday afternoon at their old favorite pizza place near campus.

“Man, I could get used to being back here” Ashlyn enthused as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Get into coaching or something like that and try and mold the next generation.”

“Don’t think I haven’t thought about it” the defender agreed. “I’ve also thought about going and playing in Sweden again too” she added in, hoping her best friend wouldn’t make too big a deal out of it.

“Really?” Ashlyn asked seriously as she tried to read Whitney’s face.

“Yeah, really. The money is so much better over there and the fans actually know about the league and the training facilities are better...”

“Oh, is that all” the blonde quipped and rolled her eyes. “So what’s stopping you?”

Ashlyn knew that Whitney’s dream had always been the same as hers, to play for the USWNT. There was no reason why she hadn’t yet. It was one of those mysteries of life that the keeper would never understand. The defender had been called into USWNT camp when they had a new coach who had tried to bring in some new blood to the team. He got ousted, they say, by a group of older players who felt threatened by all the young players coming after their coveted spots. When he was replaced, Whitney and a handful of other promising and talented players got left by the wayside. 

“Dirty truth?” the defender replied quietly.

“Yes please.”

“Mostly it’s Ryan” she exhaled and looked down. “I love him and I don’t want to be away from him for so long. I know that’s not the strong feminist answer I’m supposed to give but, there it is.”

“Oh fuck that. It’s a perfectly rational reason” Ashlyn agreed. “There’s no way I’d leave Ali for that long either. I just couldn’t do it. I get it Whit.”

They talked for a long time about Ryan’s search for a coaching job in New England and how frustrated he had become with it. Whitney finally got around to asking what had been bothering her for months.

“Is it ok if I stay at the house next season too? And please don’t just say yes without talking to Ali about it.” The blonde rolled her eyes and kicked her best friend’s foot under the table.

“I’ll ask her Whit but I’d bet that whole fucking house that she’ll be absolutely fine with it” the keeper answered and reached over to pat Whitney’s arm. “No doubt in my mind.”

Joanna Lohman picked Ashlyn up at the airport in Washington, DC Saturday evening and brought her back to her apartment to stay for the weekend. The keeper was in town to spend Halloween with Meg and Hannah and was excited to help take the little girl trick or treating Monday night. Hannah let Ashlyn take Meg for the day on Sunday and it would have been tough to decide who was more excited, Meg or Ashlyn. They went to the aquarium again and then to a Chuck E. Cheese afterwards for dinner. By the time the blonde brought the toddler back to Hannah’s apartment she was wiped out. 

Monday was Halloween and Ashlyn came back to Hannah’s apartment early that morning so Hannah could go to work. She had kept Meg out of her half day of pre-school so she could spend it with the keeper. Ashlyn was touched that Hannah had done that for her. Spending half the day reading and playing with the toddler in her home wasn’t something the blonde expected to get anymore. It meant a lot. Joanna had invited them to go with her to her parents’ neighborhood in the suburbs for some top shelf trick or treating. Joanna was going to go out with her nieces and nephews as they did every year. Hannah agreed and made the trip with them. It was, by far, the most candy Meg had ever seen. She had dressed as Merida from ‘Brave’ and looked even more adorable than usual. Hannah and Joanna took lots of pictures and everybody had a wonderful time. For the second night in a row, Meg was practically out cold by the time she got in the door of the apartment. Ashlyn gave her a bath and read her two books and put her to bed while Hannah waited in the living room.

“Out like a light” the keeper said as she sat on the couch and took a sip of the beer Hannah had opened for her. “I finished the second book just to see how it ended” she chuckled.

“Thanks for a great night Ash” Hannah smiled sincerely. “I had no idea people actually gave out full-sized candy bars these days. Can you imagine getting those when we were little?”

They both laughed and then talked more about Meg and pre-school and how she was doing. Apparently there was a little girl who had decided she was Meg’s best friend. But Meg didn’t really like her very much. Meg told Hannah the other girl was bossy and that she didn’t always want to do what the other girl decided they were going to do. The keeper was glad to hear little Meg wasn’t just a blind follower. After about an hour Ashlyn got up to go but Hannah stopped her.

“Ash, I need to talk to you about something before you go.”

“What’s up Han?” Ashlyn was skeptical and defensive and she felt her stomach flip flop when Hannah wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“Well I’ve been seeing somebody for a little while now” she began uncomfortably, actually shifting in her seat on the couch as she spoke. “And, well, they’re not really wild about you spending so much time with Meggie.”

Ashlyn’s heart stopped. It was exactly what she had feared and she felt dizzy and sat back down roughly on the couch. She was screaming at herself not to panic and just to listen and stay calm. It wasn’t working very well and she realized that Hannah had kept on talking.

“But I told him you were an important part of her life and that there was absolutely no reason for you two to stop seeing each other...”

“Wait, what?”

“What do you mean Ashlyn? Haven’t you been listening?” Hannah sounded annoyed and nervous.

“I heard the first part but I must have missed something. Did you say ‘him’?” Ashlyn questioned, squinting at her ex-girlfriend as if that would help her understand.

“Yes, Dev is his name. He’s Indian and he’s wonderful, but that’s not the point.”

“Ok, so why does he care if Meg and I spend time together? What could it possibly have to do with him?”

“Well that’s what I was saying, I told him it had nothing to do with him and there was no reason for you two to stop seeing each other” Hannah patiently explained again.

Ashlyn’s head was swimming with a million thoughts and questions and fears. She saw Ali’s face telling her to be calm and not panic. She saw Mattie’s face asking her to be open and honest about how important Meg was to her. The keeper closed her eyes for a minute, pinching the bridge of her nose and trying to control her breathing.

“So why are you telling me this then?” the blonde finally got the courage to ask.

“Ashlyn, I just thought you should know, in case...in case...”

“In case what Hannah?” the blonde tried desperately to keep the bite out of her words.

“In case he gets upset and really makes a big deal out of it. That’s all.”

“So what happens if he makes a big deal out of it?” Ashlyn’s anger, fueled by fear, echoed through the apartment.

“Shhhh, keep your voice down for God’s sake” Hannah chastised. “I don’t know what happens then.” It was probably one of the most honest things the woman had ever said to Ashlyn. “But I just wanted you to know what’s going on.”

“Hannah” the keeper’s voice was hard and cold and she bit off each word as she said it. “If you were just going to take her away from me then why the fuck did you let me keep seeing her in the first fucking place?”

They argued back and forth for almost another hour, not getting anywhere. Ashlyn was at a complete loss. She didn’t know what to say or do. She didn’t know whether to believe her ex-girlfriend or not. Was Hannah really on her side and just keeping her informed. Or was she dicking her around again. Could she count on Hannah to fight for her right to see Meg or would her ex-girlfriend give in to her new boyfriend. She couldn’t believe what was happening, and yet she wasn’t completely surprised. This is what Ali and Mattie had warned her about. The blonde had no legal right to see Meg whatsoever and she knew it. She had always known it. Ashlyn remembered her talk in Mattie’s office and an idea came to her. She told Hannah she needed a minute to herself. She picked up her empty beer bottle and carried it into the kitchen, rinsing it in the sink and dropping it in the recycling bin. As soon as she had set foot in the kitchen her eyes searched the side of the refrigerator for the list of names that had always been there as long as she had known Hannah. It was the contact list for babysitters and friends who watched Meg for her. There were some new names at the bottom and a couple had a line drawn through them but the top four were still the same. Hannah’s mom, Hannah’s sister Pam, Hannah’s brother Mitch and her best friend Monique. It was just their phone numbers but Ashlyn would take what she could get. She silenced her phone and quickly took three or four pictures of the list, hoping one of them would be in focus enough for her to read.

“Everything ok in there?” Hannah called from the couch.

“Yeah, be right there.”

//

The rest of that week was a blur for Ashlyn. Ali picked her up at the airport late Tuesday morning and the blonde didn’t do much besides eat, sleep and mope for the next six days. The brunette would never admit it but she almost wished the keeper hadn’t come home. Almost, but not really. Selfishly, she was extremely busy at work and there just weren’t enough hours in the day for her to get everything done and deal with the latest blow from Hannah. That was the naked, ugly truth of it and Ali felt ashamed for even processing those thoughts. She loved the blonde and would always put her first, even if it meant losing a sale or even a customer that week. It took Ali a long time to get the story out of her girlfriend. She had taken Ashlyn’s heartsick call late Monday night when she got back to Joanna’s apartment but that had been primarily tears and really hard to understand words gasped out through breaks in her sobs. Ali had gotten the gist of it and her heart had broken for Ashlyn. She spent the rest of that sleepless night worrying about her tender-hearted girl. The brunette pulled her girlfriend to her as soon as they got through the door of the big old house on Tuesday. She held the sobbing blonde for almost an hour as they sat on the couch in the living room. Ashlyn was literally inconsolable and Ali was starting to get concerned. She took care of her for the whole rest of the day and night as best she could.

By the time Thursday morning rolled around the brunette was almost in a panic. She called Mattie and left a message for her to call her back, and that it was urgent. Later that afternoon the couple sat on Mattie’s comfortable leather couch. Ashlyn was a mess and hadn’t showered since Ali had gotten in with her and bathed her Tuesday evening, hoping it would help settle her girl down. Ali looked like a crazy person. Her face was taut and tense and her eyes were wide and bugging out a little bit. Her knee bounced and she pulled at her fingers in her lap as she sat and looked helplessly at the therapist.

Forty-five minutes later Ali stormed out of the office, terrifying the patient in the waiting room on her way through. Somehow, in her distress and despair, Ashlyn had neglected to tell Ali that nothing had actually changed in her arrangement with Hannah and Meg yet. What the brunette had been led to believe was already a done deal had, in reality, been only a warning about something that might happen at some point in the future. Ali had been irate when Mattie had finally worked out all of the details of the conversation with Hannah. The therapist called Ali ten minutes after she had left the office and asked her to come back.

“I can’t. I’m still too angry right now and I don’t want to say something I’ll regret.”

“I think it would be very beneficial for you both if you came back in Ali. Ashlyn and I have been talking and she understands why you’re upset. Well, at least we think we understand. That’s why I’d like you to...”

“I can’t Mattie. I just...can’t. I can’t keep having this same argument with her. If she can’t communicate with me then how the hell am I supposed to help her?” she asked, exasperated.

“Maybe you’re not supposed to always help her” the therapist offered evenly. “Maybe, sometimes, you’re just supposed to love her.”

Ali agreed to come back in after Mattie’s next appointment, the man she frightened in the waiting room. She could use the hour to calm down and think. And call some of her customers and reschedule more appointments. She had completely blown up her week to try and help her girlfriend handle a phantom crisis.

After many tears and much gnashing of teeth and several heartfelt apologies and explanations, Mattie praised the couple for sticking with it and working their way through the issue.

“You guys did a good job today. None of this was easy and I’m proud of you both. Ashlyn, you’re going to continue to work on communicating better, especially when it’s difficult because why?”

“Because that’s when it’s most important” the blonde answered evenly, not looking at either woman.

“That’s right. Good. And Ali, you’re going to work on allowing Ashlyn to find her own solutions sometimes. The key takeaway is...”

“Letting her solve her own problems doesn’t mean that I don’t love her” the brunette answered quietly.

“Excellent.”

//

It took several days for things to get back to normal between the two women. They were both upset and hurt. Ashlyn felt like she had been ganged up on. Mostly she felt guilty because, not for the first time, most of the drama could have been avoided if she had just been able to tell Ali what had really happened. She was disappointed with herself for not doing that. She was disappointed with Ali for being angry with her. And she was disappointed with everybody for not treating Hannah’s threat as the world-altering event that it really was. Ali was still angry that the whole thing had happened in the first place. The fact that her girlfriend got so upset about something that a crazy person said, not to mention that it was something that they half expected her to say at some point anyway, left her disappointed in Ashlyn. And that made her sad and angry at herself as well. 

When it was all said and done Ali realized that she was upset with Ashlyn for something that was usually one of her favorite things about the blonde. She was soft-hearted and sensitive and kind and felt things more than most people did. Likewise, Ashlyn knew that when Ali helped her fix a problem, no matter how big or how small, it was one of her ways of showing her love. The brunette couldn’t help but try to help. She was a capable person who liked to do nice things for the people she loved. That wasn’t going to change any time soon.

They kept some distance between them for a couple of days but it was all very friendly. Ashlyn was still very upset about the Meg situation and gave herself until Monday to wallow in her sadness and fears. She continued to mope around the house and Ali left her alone to do it. The brunette got up each day and either went into her office or on the road and worked to try and get caught up again. They ate dinner and then spent time together in the living room watching tv while Ali did some work on her laptop or with blueprints. The big difference was that they just didn’t talk to each other as much as usual. Neither would ever admit to doing it on purpose, but they didn’t get ready for bed together either. One or the other of them would come into the bedroom just as the other was getting into bed. They still snuggled up together to sleep after sharing a quick kiss goodnight. That would never change as long as they had breath in their bodies. And gradually Ali’s anger ebbed and Ashlyn’s hurt feelings subsided enough for them to find their way back to each other.

As they ate dinner Monday evening the mood was different. They didn’t know whose mood had changed first or if one precipitated the other or if, as so often happened with the two of them, it had happened at the same time. But it was as if someone turned on the lights again and chased away the lingering shadow that had followed them around since Thursday. That night, after watching a couple of episodes of ‘Stranger Things’ on Netflix, they went upstairs and got ready for bed together. They grinned at each other in the big mirror of the bathroom as they washed their faces and brushed their teeth. When they snuggled up that night they kissed for several minutes and talked. They lay on their sides, facing each other and holding hands between their chests, their noses only inches apart.

“Oh my God, did I miss you princess” Ashlyn breathed out after a kiss.

“Me too. I hated whatever that was and I don’t want to ever go through that again” Ali agreed and squeezed the blonde’s hand as she kissed her again.

“I’m so sorry honey...”

“Don’t Ash” the brunette interrupted. “Let’s not bring it back. I’m sorry too, now let’s just keep it behind us.” Ali pleaded with her eyes as well as her words.

“No, I know. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry and I promise I’ll try harder Al. Nothing in this world is more important to me than you and I’m just going to keep trying the best I can and hope that’s enough.”

“Enough for what sweetheart?”

“Enough so you don’t ever leave me” the blonde said softly and looked down.

“Honey, we’re going to disagree and argue and fight sometimes. I’d be more worried if we didn’t, honestly. But I’m not going to leave you.” Ali lifted the blonde’s chin until their eyes met. “I love you and I can’t imagine you doing something that would make me feel like I had to cut you out of my life. I don’t want to know what life is like without you right here next to me.”

Several hours later Ali woke with a start as if someone had just sent a shot of electricity through her body. It was 3:30am and she was horny as hell. It had been over two weeks since they had last had sex. That was the longest they had ever gone without sharing their bodies with one another. The brunette didn’t know if she had just had some sort of sex dream or what, but she was insanely turned on and, she reached between her legs, incredibly wet. Ashlyn was sound asleep, lying on her back with her arm draped around her girlfriend’s shoulder. Ali debated momentarily and then crawled on top of the keeper, kissing along her jaw and down her neck. She loved the way Ashlyn’s body felt beneath hers, even asleep. The brunette slid her body down and then back up, feeling her nipples, still in her sleep tank, drag against her girlfriend’s t-shirt. Ashlyn stirred and wrapped her arms loosely around Ali’s back. The brunette placed more kisses to the other side of the keeper’s neck and Ashlyn slowly blinked her eyes open.

“Ali?” she squinted at the brunette, an inch above her face, and rubbed her eyes with one of her hands. “Are you ok? What’s the matter?”

“I miss you Ash. I need to feel you” the brunette purred into her ear and then brought their lips together in a slow kiss, grinding her hips into the blonde’s. 

“Damn baby” Ashlyn smirked sleepily, after the kiss.

“You once told me you were ok being woken up for sex” Ali seductively reminded the keeper as she sat up and pulled off her sleep tank. “Is that true, beautiful?”

“Oh yeah. No better way in the world to wake up” the blonde smirked again and reached for Ali’s bare breasts.

//

The following week was the annual ABX (Architecture Boston Expo) show in Boston. It was the biggest building industry event in the Northeast and it was designed to attract and educate architects, engineers, builders and other building industry professionals. There were educational conferences and a huge exhibit hall where hundreds of companies showed off their products and services over a three day period in the middle of November. It was run by the Boston Society of Architects (BSA) and Ali’s company was one of the biggest sponsors at the show. Steven Dudley invested so much money to have his company’s name plastered all over the conference center and exhibit hall that his competition actually complained about it one year. The BSA had simply told them if they didn’t like it they were welcome to spend some money and get their company’s name on some of the walls too. If you were an architect in Boston you attended the show, at least for one of the three days. Some architectural firms allowed their employees to attend all three days. 

Ali had worked at the show ever since she joined the company. She would go and ‘man the booth’ on the exhibit floor for one of the three days, sometimes two depending on her workload. The sales managers wanted sales reps who knew what they were talking about and could represent the company well to all of the architects and builders that would walk through their booth during the show. Everybody wanted to see the new products that a manufacturer was about to unveil. Some of it could be pretty cloak and dagger. You never wanted the sales reps from a competitor’s company to hang out in your booth and check out your new products. They were not welcome. But you had to be careful and tactful as you moved them out of the booth. It was not a place for the new guy sales reps and management knew it. The brunette always saw dozens of people she knew or had worked with before and there were often impromptu dinner or drink gatherings after the exhibit hall closed down. There were a couple of restaurants nearby that you could walk to and have a quick lunch as well.

Ali had been scheduled to work the show on Tuesday and had ended up going back on Thursday to fill in for another rep whose wife had just gone into labor. All during her shift on Tuesday the brunette had wondered if she would bump into Sarah at some point. She hoped she would see her but feared what she assumed would be an awkward reunion too. Ali was more relieved than disappointed when she drove home late Tuesday night without having seen her ex-girlfriend.

“Hi Ali. How are you doing?”

The brunette froze for a split second on Thursday afternoon when she heard Sarah’s voice behind her. She turned around and smiled at the tall architect she hadn’t seen in nine months. Sarah smiled back and they did the awkward shake hands or hug routine, chuckling as they did both at the same time. 

“Can I show you our new products?” Ali asked, half-joking and feeling stupid and self-conscious as Sarah laughed at her good-naturedly.

“No thanks” she replied. “Somebody much less qualified than you showed them to me yesterday.” Sarah smiled warmly as she said it and paused for a moment. “Can you take a break?”

They went up the escalator to the conference center lobby and found a couple of chairs in a quiet corner. They talked for twenty minutes, getting each other caught up on their work lives before the uncomfortable silence joined them.

“I got your letter” the architect offered quietly and looked cautiously at Ali. It was as if she was testing out the new heart she had built in her chest, unsure whether or not it would hold. “It was very nice of you to send it. Thank you.”

“I should have sent it sooner. I wish I had” the brunette replied with regret.

“I wouldn’t have been ready to read it sooner” Sarah admitted and looked down for a minute, but then brought her eyes back up. “I loved our time together Al and I meant what I said about not having any regrets. I’m ok. It took me a little while, but I’m alright now.”

Ali saw in the architect’s eyes that she was telling the truth. The brunette felt sad, then relieved and then happy for the woman who had unknowingly done so much for her.

“I’m really glad to hear that Sarah” Ali answered and paused. “I know it got complicated at the end, but I loved our time too. I hope you know that.” 

“I do know that. I doubted it for a while but then I realized that there’s no way you could have been pretending. No-one will ever be able to fault you for your honesty.” She laughed softly when she said it.

Ali smiled shyly at her. “Now’s not the time, but someday I’d like to tell you everything you did for me that you don’t even realize Sarah.” The brunette looked tentatively at the pretty face sitting in the next chair. “Would that be ok?”

“Well we dodged the biggest of the stereotypical lesbian dating tropes by not u-hauling so I think we’re obligated to sign up for the second biggest one and be friends with our exes” Sarah quipped and then laughed out loud along with the brunette.

“I’d like that, but it’s completely up to you” Ali began and got serious again. “I have no right to ask you for anything and I’ll respect whatever you decide.”

“I know you will Al. Let me think about it some more, but I think I’d like it too.”


	41. Thanksgiving Weekend

The next week was Thanksgiving and the big old house bustled with activity. Ashlyn finished up a couple of meetings with her agent early in the week. She had decided to sign with Suburu and promote their products and possibly do some local tv commercials. The money was great and the keeper was more than grateful. It felt amazing to be wanted and sought after. The only thing that had held her back in the first place was that she would have to start driving a Suburu. There was absolutely nothing wrong with Suburus and Ashlyn had always liked and respected the company for being one of the first big manufacturers to reach out to the LGBTQ community. But she was a Jeep girl. She didn’t have to get rid of her Jeep. But she had to be seen driving the Suburu and she had to post on social media fun things she was doing in her Suburu and things like that. The blonde would suck it up.

The other exciting deal that was still just a possibility was with Nike. Both Hilary and Ashlyn were Nike athletes and Ashlyn’s agent, who had worked with Nike longer than Hilary’s agent had, was pitching them the idea of the two female athletes from Boston doing a joint ad. It could be a buddy theme or a competition theme like the old Larry Bird and Magic Johnson ads for Converse. The new Betty Sue ads would start airing Thanksgiving weekend and the agents were hoping to parlay them into a bigger deal with the athletic giant. The original idea for the Nike deal had been Ali’s. She had proposed it to Hilary and Ashlyn during one of their first meetings. The keeper would never stop being impressed by her beautiful and brilliant girlfriend.

Once her meetings were finished, Ashlyn prepped the house for visitors. She changed the beds and washed the towels in both of the other bathrooms. She made sure there was enough firewood both in the big storage stack on the other side of the garage as well as in her shortcut spot on the porch outside the kitchen. It was so much easier to grab it from there if it was cold or rainy out. The keeper went grocery shopping and bought just enough wine so they would have some but not so much that it felt like they were shoving it in Kyle’s face. She cleaned the gym and made sure everything was in good working order in case they wanted to get a workout in during their visit. Ashlyn even moved their formal wear from the front bedroom closet back to Meg’s room after listening to Ali whine about having to listen to her brother have sex in the guest room. This way they could offer their guests either of the empty rooms and hope like hell they chose the front bedroom. The blonde had a feeling she wouldn’t be having any sex either unless that happened. That was all the incentive she needed.

The brunette locked herself in her office for most of the day Monday and Tuesday trying to beat the deadline from the factory for work. Her company’s fiscal year end was Thanksgiving. Nobody had ever understood who the hell picked that date but that’s how it had always been. Most manufacturing companies adjust their pricing each year to account for increases or decreases in materials. They didn’t want to introduce a price increase to their products in the middle of the year if they could help it. So there was a hard deadline to place orders with the current pricing and it was the day before Thanksgiving. If a customer missed the deadline and didn’t get his order put in until the week after Thanksgiving then the price would change to the next year’s pricing and, most likely, go up a little bit. All that meant was that the week of Thanksgiving was a clusterfuck for the sales reps because no matter how hard they tried to urge customers to get their orders placed the week before, there were always five or six guys who just hadn’t been able to get their acts together in time. Those were the guys that kept Ali at her computer all day Monday and Tuesday making changes to quotes and contracts and placing orders. It was hard to complain about being busy and booking orders, but it was just a tough time of year to be so stressed and swamped. Ali almost always showed up to Thanksgiving looking a little wild-eyed. No-one even commented on it anymore.

Things had been really good between Ali and Ashlyn since their cold war had ended two weeks earlier. The blonde was still worried about what Hannah was up to but she didn’t let it take over her whole being. She had spent some time on the internet trying to find mailing addresses for Hannah’s brother, sister and mother, just in case she ever needed them. The only one she could locate was Hannah’s mother and, from what she had heard about the woman from Hannah, she would not be her first choice. Ali told the keeper about her talk with Sarah the night it had happened. The brunette had been worried that her girlfriend might be upset. But Ashlyn, as she had said several times previously, was happy that Ali had heard back from the architect. She even seemed ok with them being friends, if Sarah decided that was something she wanted to do.

“I trust you Ali and I like Sarah. I’m not the jealous one, remember?” Ashlyn had teased her that night.

“But Ashlyn you have to promise me that if you change your mind you’ll tell me right away” the brunette was as serious as the blonde had ever seen her. “Being friends with Sarah is not worth a second of making you feel uncomfortable. I mean it babe. You have to tell me.”

“I promise. I won’t let the simple thing turn into a big thing. I promise baby.” Ashlyn continued rubbing the brunette’s feet, sore from standing on them for nine hours straight. “I guess I’d like to have her join us for some group things to start though. Would that be ok?”

“Anything you want Ash. I was thinking the same thing though. It sounds terrible, but that way she can see if it’s something she can deal with, seeing us together.” She stretched her legs. “God that feels good. But let’s not worry about it until she decides what she wants to do.” 

Kyle and Nico were arriving on the train from NYC early Wednesday afternoon and taking the train home Sunday night. Ali picked them up at South Station in Boston and drove them up to Gloucester. 

“Honey we’re home!” Kyle yelled as they walked through the side door into the mudroom.

Ali giggled. She always thought her brother was funny. He had been her hero for as long as she could remember, even as a little girl she had looked up to and admired her big brother. She was at her happiest when he was around.

“Geez, it’s about time” Ashlyn teased as she hugged Kyle and Nico hello. “I was about to send out a search party.”

“Ugh, traffic was awful” Ali chimed in, pecking her girl’s lips before continuing. “I’m so glad you guys didn’t take a later train, it’s only going to get worse.”

“Well, we aim to please, don’t we Nico?” Kyle joked. “Even in our travel arrangements.”

“Yes. Pleasers, that’s us” Nico replied, only half listening. He was studying the old photograph of the house that hung on the wall. “This is a really cool photograph.”

“Uh oh, now you’ve done it” Kyle rolled his eyes playfully. “One grand tour, coming right up.”

“No, no, no” Ashlyn shook her head and walked into the front hall. “Let’s get you guys settled in first so you can relax. The house isn’t going anywhere. I can give Nico the tour anytime he wants.”

The keeper led them up the front stairs and opened the front bedroom door for them as Ali gave her a confused look from the back of the group.

“I set this room up for you but you can have the other guest room if you’d prefer. It’s smaller but it has the fireplace.”

“Umm no thank you” Kyle said without even conferring with Nico.

“But it has a fireplace” Nico whined.

“It’s also right next to their room” Kyle pointed down the hall towards the master bedroom. “I don’t want to hear my sister having sex all weekend.” He grimaced and stepped into the front bedroom. “We’ll take this one.”

“That’s what I thought” Ashlyn chuckled as she stepped out of the way so Nico could bring his bag into the room. “Come downstairs when you’re ready. We can decide what we want to do for dinner.”

“But Ash...” Ali started but the blonde just took her by the hand and led her down to the closet in Meg’s room.

“I moved it all down here, relax.” Ashlyn opened the closet and grinned at her girlfriend.

“God I love you” Ali said sweetly and gave the keeper a slow kiss. “You really are just the best girlfriend ever. Don’t let it go to your head or anything, but I mean, the best girlfriend ever.” 

A few hours later, after Ashlyn had given Nico the grand tour and after they had eaten dinner, they were standing in the living room looking at the bookcases full of books and movies while Ali put the leftover Thai food away in the kitchen.

“So who’s the Hitchcock fan?” Nico asked excitedly.

“That would be Ali” the keeper answered as she sat back down on the couch. “But she’s got me watching them too. We’re working our way through all of them.”

“No way. That’s awesome” Nico enthused. “How many have you seen? I love Hitchcock.”

“Oh boy, here we go” Kyle mumbled from his spot on the other end of the couch, but he didn’t really mind.

“I’m not sure how many” the blonde tried to do a quick count in her head. “Maybe ten or so? I forget. We started last year.”

“My sister wooed you with Hitchcock, and that sounds just terrible, but that’s not what I meant” Kyle giggled.

“She totally did, but I’m the one that asked to watch one first” Ashlyn clarified, laughing at Kyle’s awful sentence.

“What was your first?” Nico asked as he held the boxed set in his hands. “You never forget your first Hitchcock film. Mine was ‘Strangers on a Train’.”

“I’ve seen that one too. It was great. What a cool and creepy concept for the plot.” Ashlyn met Nico’s excited gaze and matched it. “My first was ‘Notorious’ and I still think it’s my favorite, so far at least” she answered.

“Oh I love that one! Did you know that long kiss broke all the rules when they made it?” Nico was even more excited to talk about Hitchcock than Ali, and that was saying something.

“Yep. They would break apart for a second and say a couple of words and then kiss again. That’s how they got around the rule. Ali...”

“Very impressive grasshopper” Ali interrupted her as she stood in the doorway from the mudroom and winked at the blonde. “You have learned well.”

“Well I had this really hot teacher...”

“Alright, alright” Kyle rolled his eyes. “Are you three going to geek out over this until we watch one or what?”

“Have you seen one before?” Nico asked with a smirk. “Methinks he doth protest too much.”

“Of course I’ve seen some Hitchcock movies. It’s part of the initiation ritual for Ali’s inner circle. It’s either Hitch or you have to give up your first born son.”

They all laughed and Ali sat down next to the keeper, taking her hand and squeezing it.

“So what was your first Hitchcock film Ali?” Nico inquired, wanting to complete his question from earlier.

“’Dial ‘M’ for Murder’” she answered with a smile.

“Oooh, starting off right in the sweet spot with Grace herself. What a beautiful way to begin” Nico grinned back at her as he looked through the box set.

“I love the Grace Kelly ones. I’ve seen all three of those. Did you know she quit Hollywood to become a princess?” Ashlyn was like a little kid and she fed off of Nico’s enthusiasm.

“I did know that” he grinned back at her. “And Dr. Freud would have a field day with you loving Grace Kelly” he chuckled and gave her a warm smile.

“I’m not sure” Ashlyn pretended to whisper out of the side of her mouth towards Ali so everyone could hear her, “but I think he just compared me to Grace Kelly.”

The brunette experienced a whirl of emotions as she sat there. She had invested a good deal of energy in not liking her brother’s new boyfriend. But this Nico tonight was charming as hell and sweet and funny and warm. It was easy to see why Kyle had fallen so hard for him. And he was a Hitchcock fanatic and he was being sweet to her girl too. 

“He did and he’s right. You’re beautiful babe.” She gave Ashlyn a kiss and rested her hand on the blonde’s hip as she snuggled closer.

“Umm yeah, have you seen your cheekbones? You’re a model sweetie.” He looked at Kyle. “Does she really not know how gorgeous she is?”

“I’m sure my sister has a handle on it” Kyle laughed and glanced over at Ali. He loved seeing her so happy.

“So are we watching one of these or what?” Ashlyn was eager to get a movie started.

“What’ll it be? Any requests?” Nico stood in the middle of the room with the box set in his hand like the emcee of a game show. “Older? Newer? Color? Black and white?”

“Let’s start with his first Hollywood film” Ali suggested, knowing the suspenseful story would appeal to all four of them.

“’Rebecca’ it is then.” Nico put the disc into the PS4 and sat next to Kyle on the couch. “Who can tell me what’s unique about this movie, in the Hitchcock world?”

Kyle and Ashlyn looked at each other and shrugged. Ali smiled and patted the blonde’s thigh next to her.

“It’s the only film of his to win the Best Picture Oscar” the brunette answered.

“Oooh, you do know your Hitch. Well done Ms. Krieger.”

“Sir Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine are the stars and it takes place in England. He made it in 1940” Ashlyn read from the box set guide. “Let’s go. I can’t wait to meet Rebecca!”

Nico and Ali exchanged a look and he winked at her as the movie started. Just over two hours later they were all talking about how good it was.

“I can’t believe we just watched a movie called ‘Rebecca’ where everybody spends the whole time talking about Rebecca but we never get to meet or even see a picture of Rebecca!” Ashlyn exclaimed, frustrated. “What the hell?”

//

In the morning they made the half hour drive to Ken Krieger’s house in Ipswich and spent the day eating too much, laughing a lot, watching football and playing soccer. Ashlyn was nervous to be attending her first official Krieger holiday and Ali could tell.

“Just relax honey” she whispered as they set the pies and rolls they had brought down on the kitchen counter. “It’s no different than any other time you’ve been here.”

“Except there are lots more people here. I just don’t want to embarrass you Al.”

“Ashlyn” the brunette put her hands on the keeper’s hips and turned her so they faced each other. “You’re not going to embarrass me. I love you. Just be your wonderful self and try and have fun. Ok?” she asked and smiled when she finally saw a small smile in return.

“Ok. I’ll try.”

“Good” Ali placed a soft kiss on her lips right as her uncle walked into the kitchen.

“Oh, um, ah, I’m so sorry...I didn’t realize...”

“Uncle Scott, it’s ok” Ali said trying to calm the nervous and upset man down. “This is my girlfriend, Ashlyn.”

“It’s nice to meet you” Ashlyn stepped towards him and shook his hand.

“I’m Ken’s brother, Scott. It’s nice to meet you too” he replied with an awkward smile and then quickly left the room.

“Off to a great start” Ashlyn blew out a big breath.

“Well don’t feel so bad. Nico’s going to have it a lot tougher than you I think” she giggled and pulled on the blonde’s arm. “My dad likes you” she grinned and her nose crinkled up. “Come on, Uncle Scott will be back to get whatever he came in here for in the first place but forgot.” 

Uncle Scott, his wife, their three kids and their spouses, and the one and only grandchild in the entire Krieger family so far, were there. Scott’s daughter had named her Allison but they called her Allie. Whenever the two families got together it was Big Ali and Little Allie and they were pretty cute together. Vicki was gracious as ever and Tanner and Koty were more social than usual. Ali was pretty sure it was because they either thought Nico was cool or they recognized him from whatever show he was on. Probably, their girlfriends recognized him and told Tanner and Koty how cool Nico was.

Nico was charming again. He flirted good-naturedly with all the women and helped in the kitchen. Scott’s wife Becky even put an apron over his head and tied it around his waist for him. Kyle, being Kyle and loving to cause trouble, walked into the middle of everything and grabbed Nico’s ass and kissed his neck. He looked at the shocked faces around the kitchen, smirked and walked away again with a devilish grin on his face.

Ken was not impressed with the new boyfriend. Not after the way he and Kyle had blown him off during their last visit without even calling to cancel. He kept his eye on Nico and Kyle all day and they both felt it. Ken went out of his way to spend time with Ashlyn and ask her how her head was feeling and how the scar was healing. He introduced her to his brother who looked like he had seen a ghost. Ashlyn explained that they had already met in the kitchen and smiled optimistically at the man. Uncle Scott and his family weren’t homophobic they were just phobic in general. They were literally uncomfortable around anything they weren’t familiar with. Which is exactly how Ken had been before his two children turned out to be gay and he was forced to become familiar with it. Ali watched Ken, Scott and Ashlyn talking from the other side of the living room where she was playing on the floor with Apollo and Allie and one of her cousins. At first she thought she would have to go and rescue her keeper but, the more she watched, she saw that her dad was teaching his brother how to be ok with Ashlyn. The brunette knew it would take a lot more than one holiday visit but she also knew it was an important start. She was going to have Ashlyn in her life forever so the uncomfortable Kriegers had better get used to it.

Much later in the day, after the big meal had been eaten and the big Krieger soccer game had been completed, most of the group had found their way to the tv to watch the football game. Ali was in the kitchen getting her pies ready with the other desserts that would be served soon.

“Hey princess, need a hand?” Ken asked as he stood across the island from his daughter.

“Sure Dad, thanks. I just need to spread the whipped cream onto both of these French silk pies” she smiled at her father, happy for the company and the help.

“You looked good out there. How are you still so damned fast?” he complimented her soccer skills while concentrating on scooping the whipped cream out of the mixing bowl.

“Both Tanner and Koty look good. And fast” she replied, not looking up from the pie she was working on. “Thanks for being so sweet with Ashlyn today. I saw you with Uncle Scott and her and...just thanks I guess.”

“Of course. He’ll be lucky to know her, he’ll figure it out.” Ken glanced up at his daughter and saw that she was chewing her bottom lip. “Something else on your mind Alex?”

“Oh, um” Ali sighed. “I never thanked you enough for talking to me and helping me at my birthday party.” She had finished spreading the whipped cream on her pie and she put the spoon she had been using into her mouth and cleaned it off. Ken kept working on his pie. “I’m sure that was pretty uncomfortable for you and I want you to know how much you helped me that night.”

“I’m glad then princess. I wasn’t sure I was the right person for the job but I thought I’d give it a try” he finished his task and looked up at Ali. “You know I’ll always try and help you with anything you ever need. I’m always here for you honey.”

“I know Dad. And I don’t tell you enough how much that means to me. Thank you for always being there for me. I love you so much.”

Ken had walked around the island to put his spoon in the sink and he wrapped his daughter up in a hug.

“I love you too Alex.”

There was a roar from the living room where the football game was being watched.

“Hey, can I show you something and ask you what you think?” he asked as he looked around to see if anybody was watching them.

“Sure.”

They went into the attached garage through the door in the kitchen and he brought her over to one of the shelves against the back wall. He pulled a small drop cloth away from the object.

“I found this a couple of weeks ago and I thought I’d give it to Ashlyn for Christmas. I’ll clean it up first, of course. I mean, it’s supposed to look weathered but some of this is rust so I’ll take care of that...”

They were looking at a metal lawn or garden decoration that was about three feet long and one foot high. It had been sculpted into the outline of a shark, only the top half visible above the water.

“She’ll love it Dad. It’s perfect” Ali said, beaming.

Ken covered it back up with the drop cloth. “Should I paint it or just get rid of the rust and keep it the weathered look?”

“I’d keep it the way it is” Ali nodded.

They started to walk back towards the kitchen and Ken put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

“I’m going to propose to her Dad” Ali confessed quietly, surprised at herself for letting her big secret slip out so easily.

“You are?” Ken stopped and they faced each other. “That’s terrific honey. I’m so happy for you. For both of you.” He gave her another big hug and fought the tears that he felt forming. “When are you going to do it? Do you need money for the ring? If there’s anything you need...”

“Geez, it’s like I told mom or something” she teased and hugged her father again, letting him know she was only kidding. “I wanted to wait for our anniversary in February but I can’t wait that long. I’m finding it hard to wait at all to tell the truth.”

“Do you have the ring yet?”

“I’m picking it up next week” she answered with a nose-crinkling grin on her face. “It just feels so silly to wait. Like we’re waiting, just to wait. We both know we want to be married and I’m tired of waiting. I’ve done a lot of waiting already.”

“Yes you have. I’m really proud of you.”

“So it’ll be sometime before Christmas because I don’t want to share it with Christmas. I want it to be its’ own thing.” They smiled at each other and the brunette was happy that she had told her dad first. “You’re the only one who knows, well except for Syd but she always knows first.” Ali paused, surprised at how emotional that made her all of a sudden. “You can tell mom if you want. I know you guys tell each other everything about us anyway” she giggled like a little girl standing in front of her father telling him an important secret about one of her dolls.

“Kyle doesn’t know?” Ken asked, frowning in confusion. Kyle was usually the first person she shared that kind of news with.

“He’s all wrapped up in Nico and I didn’t want to...I don’t know, make him feel bad? I guess.”

The door to the kitchen opened and Vicki stood there with a kitchen towel in her hand.

“There you are. Come on inside for dessert you two.”

//

The rest of the long weekend was great too. The weather was cool and overcast. Everything was different shades of grey and Kyle was in his glory with his camera. The four of them spent most of the day Friday driving up and around the coast of Gloucester and Rockport and Essex. They stopped wherever Kyle found a spot that he thought would make for a cool photograph or background. 

As they lounged on the couch that evening looking for a movie to watch, it was Kyle’s turn to pick and he made it clear it wasn’t going to be Hitchcock, one of the two new Betty Sue’s commercials came on the tv.

“Look at Miss Thing!” Kyle yelled and sat up excitedly, pointing at the tv.

“Oh my God that’s you in those commercials?” Nico asked, his eyes wide as he made the connection. “One of my best friends has a bunch of gifs that she uses all the time from those commercials. I never really focused on the faces very much I guess.” He reached over and smacked Ashlyn’s leg. “I love those!”

The keeper couldn’t help but grin. Her dimple popped out and Ali leaned over and kissed it.

“That was pretty funny Ash” Kyle said as he rewound it and watched it again. “And I looove the hat.”

The more traditional of the two commercials was the one that they had just seen. It was a big group shot of a bunch of Betty Sue’s employees with the original Betty Sue standing in the front between Ashlyn and Hilary. The hockey star had reindeer antlers on her head and the keeper wore a pink Santa’s hat. Betty Sue said a few words, then Hilary and then Ashlyn. Then the whole group shouted ‘Happy Holidays’ together. The commercial ended with the camera focused on the three women in the front giggling and talking about who had flubbed which line. It was an outtake but it was funny and charming and captured Ashlyn’s sweet personality perfectly.

The other commercial was scripted and had the two athletes, who had waited until the day before Christmas, competing to get their Christmas shopping done fastest. They both end up at Betty Sue’s for some nice pink merchandise and gift cards to complete their task. The typical fun and flirty repartee with each other and the Betty Sue’s beauties ensued and everybody was happy. Ashlyn’s new owl tattoo was on full display and looked awesome, even on tv.

//

Saturday the boys were supposed to meet up with some of Kyle’s friends in the city for the night. They were going to stay at one of his friend’s apartment, hang out Sunday morning and then catch the train back to NYC in the afternoon. When it came time to start thinking about packing up their stuff nobody wanted them to go. Ashlyn had convinced Nico to let her sketch him and they were up in the studio. She was happy to do the sketch but she had really arranged it just to give the Krieger siblings a little bit of time together.

“I understand now BB” Ali said as they sat in the nook and drank their coffee.

Kyle cocked his head to the side and looked at her quizzically.

“Nico. I get it. This guy this weekend is wonderful and I don’t know how you wouldn’t fall for him.” She smiled gently and took another sip of the almost too hot coffee.

Kyle rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically as he dropped his head down onto his arms on the table. Ali deftly moved his coffee out of the way and chuckled. Kyle sat up again and looked out the window wistfully.

“I wish he was like this all the time. This is Nico, the boy I love.” He sighed again, eyes still distant. “And as soon as we go meet up with Nathan and everybody he’ll change into Nico the semi-famous actor.”

They were quiet for a few minutes watching some birds and squirrels move around outside as they drank more coffee.

“Well what if you didn’t go and meet up with Nathan and everybody?” Ali asked. “What if Syd and Dom come over and we have a little dinner party tonight instead? Maybe Molly and Niki too.”

“Are they the ones with the baby?”

“Yes, but they wouldn’t bring the baby, if they can even come at all” Ali clarified. “What do you think? Would that help?”

“It would be fantastic. But is it even do-able?” Kyle questioned as he turned his focus to his sister.

“Oh I can make it happen” she asserted. “But only if you want me to and Nico is up for it. Or down with it. Or whatever you hip New Yorkers say.” She giggled and poked her brother’s leg under the table with her foot.

“Do you like my boyfriend now?” he asked in a small voice and looked hopefully at his sister.

“This boy this weekend I like very much” she answered truthfully. “The dick from September, not very much at all.”

“Is Nico the dick from September or am I?”

“Yes.”

//

True to her word, Ali pulled a spur of the moment dinner party together for that very night. Syd, Dom, Niki and Molly joined them and they drank wine and ate appetizers and enjoyed surprisingly mature conversation as Ali and Dom put the final touches on dinner. Then, for the first time ever, they sat around the dining room table and ate dinner like real grown-ups. Molly, Niki and Nico spent a lot of time chatting about New York and even knew a couple of the same people through Molly’s old job. The adult portion of the evening ended in the dining room. They moved to the living room to play some games and ended up playing one of the raunchiest games of Cards Against Humanity in the history of the world. There hadn’t been time to make dessert so Ashlyn and Kyle had gone to the store that afternoon and bought all the fixins for ice cream sundaes. The group moved back to the dining room table and spread all the toppings out in the middle before creating their own ice cream masterpieces. There was a childlike aspect of Nico’s personality that reminded Ali of her keeper. Unfortunately, she feared, his was more spoiled, selfish brat than Ashlyn’s adorable innocent. He suggested they play ‘I Never’ and nobody could come up with a good reason not to so they did. It was a great group for that because nobody knew everybody there. Before long everyone’s cheeks were sore from laughing so much. 

Ali and Ashlyn had tried to be good hosts and had spread out among their guests rather than staying next to each other every minute of the evening. They watched each other from across whatever room they were in, exchanging subtle glances and small smiles. By the time the party had re-convened in the dining room for dessert they had given up and sat next to each other, legs touching beneath the table. As ‘I Never’ heated up they completely abandoned any pretense that was left and Ali sat right on the blonde’s lap, their hands on each other for the rest of the night. It was one of the most enjoyable evenings the couple had ever spent together and they didn’t want it to end. Entertaining good friends and family in their big house had fast become one of their favorite things to do. That night as they finally got into bed they hugged and kissed and held each other close before exhaustion and alcohol carried them to sleep.

“I love our life so much” Ali murmured as she pressed a kiss into her girlfriend’s shoulder.


	42. Making Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning for the end of the chapter

“So when are you going to pop the question?” Niki asked what all of Ali and Ashlyn’s friends and family wanted to know. 

The keeper pushed the shopping cart through the busy ‘Toys R Us’ store, elbows leaning on the handle of the cart as she searched the shelves for just the right gift. It was the Wednesday after Thanksgiving and Niki’s school had an administrative day so she had the afternoon off. Molly had sent her to get a head start on their Christmas shopping for all of their little nieces and nephews. 

“What’s the one we need again?” Ashlyn asked as she picked up a toy off the shelf and inspected it.

“The ‘Guy Diamond’ one. Quit dodging the question.”

“It’s not here Nik.” Ashlyn put the toy back and started pushing the cart again. “I don’t want to pressure her. She almost freaked out when we moved in together. It’s only been three months. I don’t want to rush it and spook her again. What’s next on the list?”

“Do you really think she wouldn’t say yes if you asked her to marry you?” Niki read the next item on the list. “Wellie Wishers. There’s, like, six things on here for them, whatever they are.”

“Oh they’re on my list too.” The blonde stood up and pulled a folded up piece of paper from her front pocket. “Ali wants to get some clothes for them for little Allie. She said they were near the front of the store.” They turned out of the aisle and headed in that direction. “No, I know she wouldn’t say no, but that doesn’t mean she’s really ready to say yes. I want to make sure she’s ready this time.”

“Do you have a ring yet?”

“Yep. I’ve had it since July. I really wanted to propose at her birthday party instead of just asking her to move in with me.” The two friends shared a look and chuckled. “Thank God I didn’t do that. Can you imagine?”

//

As soon as Kyle and Nico had left Thanksgiving weekend, the brunette’s mind had shifted into Christmas planning and stressing. The stressing part was new and it threw her off her game for a couple of days. Ali was torn about Christmas that year. She usually loved it more than anything. She would decorate her little house and a little tree and do lots of holiday baking and play Christmas music non-stop and send out Holiday cards to her customers and, in general, surround herself with the holiday spirit. She was a happy, optimistic person by nature and that was amplified during the month of December. But she wasn’t sure what to do that year. She wasn’t ready to decorate the big old house. That seemed like an incredibly daunting task and she and Ashlyn hadn’t even talked about it yet. The idea of celebrating Christmas with her keeper in their house was almost intoxicating. She wanted that more than anything, she realized, one morning in the shower as she thought hard about what her heart truly desired. There were two big problems with that. One was that she would break her mother’s heart if she didn’t go to Miami and have Christmas with her. And two, she didn’t know if Ashlyn would like it or if she would rather go to Satellite Beach, as she did every year, to celebrate with her family. She needed to talk to the keeper so they could make a plan that worked for everybody.

But the biggest thought that occupied her brain was finding the right time to propose to her girlfriend. She had the ring and it was practically burning a hole in her purse. All she had to do was come up with the perfect proposal. She had already spent weeks thinking about different options and had narrowed it down to a few. Her first idea had been to take Ashlyn back to the Gardner and she was definitely leaning towards that. But that felt like more of her own thing instead of something that was Ashlyn’s. She knew the blonde loved the Gardner. But she needed to focus on Ashlyn and her unique pulse. What would make the blonde’s heart beat faster?

//

“Ashlyn? Honey, what’s the matter?” Ali whispered softly as she knelt next to the chair her tearful girlfriend was sitting in. 

It was late Friday afternoon, the week after Thanksgiving, and the brunette had just come home from some appointments and some shopping. She had walked around the whole first floor looking for the keeper and found her sitting in one of the two highback chairs in front of the fireplace in the front parlor. There was a tiny fire in the fireplace, mostly just kindling, and Ashlyn’s phone was clutched in her left hand.

“Sweetheart, talk to me. Please.” Ali’s words were stronger as her anxiety rose.

Ashlyn’s face was covered in tears, some of them dried and some of them fresh and wet. She sat up in the chair and leaned her head back against it with her eyes half-closed, staring into the dwindling flames. She handed Ali her phone without moving anything but her left arm.

“I got a text from Hannah.” Her voice was bleak and oddly harsh and it made Ali jump a little when she heard it.

Hannah had texted Ashlyn thirty minutes earlier as the keeper was starting the fire in the front parlor. She wanted to test it out and make sure it was still working well before they spent some time in front of it later that evening, crossing it off the list of fireplaces they still needed to have sex in front of.

“What the hell?” Ali asked, looking up after reading the text. “You should talk to her...”

“I just did. She says Dev is taking them away on a cruise for the holidays. They leave next weekend.”

She still sat there motionless, defeated, but with a bit of pissed-off mixed in. Ali took a deep breath and silently cursed that red-headed bitch. Ashlyn had planned, with Hannah, to fly to DC next weekend and visit Meg for Christmas. It would have been her last visit that they had pre-arranged before Dev entered the picture. They both knew any future meetings might become difficult to schedule and the blonde had been focusing on making that December visit a really good one.

“Ash, I’m so sorry.” 

Ali kissed her thigh as she sat back on her heels. She thought for a minute, wondering what she could possibly say or do to help her girlfriend hurt less. The brunette stood up and walked behind the highback chair and put Ashlyn’s phone on the small table between the two chairs. She leaned forward and kissed the top of the keeper’s head and then went to the fireplace and added a small log to the top of the kindling that was almost out. She waited a minute and blew gently under the grate that held the wood to help the flames stay alive and catch the small log. It was dark in the room, it was just after 5pm. There was light bleeding in from the hallway entrance, just to the right of the fireplace, as well as at the front hallway entrance by the front door behind Ashlyn.

“I’ll be right back.”

Ali went into the kitchen and made a whiskey drink for her girl and poured herself a glass of wine and carried them both back to the front parlor. She set the short cocktail glass down on the coaster next to the blonde and held her wine glass in her hand.

“Can I sit with you?” she asked tentatively.

Ashlyn nodded her head but still hadn’t taken her eyes off of the flames. The brunette sat in the other highback chair next to the keeper and slowly sipped her wine. It was cozy and warm with the fire throwing off a little bit of heat from the one small log. Neither woman spoke. All they could hear was the crackling of the fire and, faintly, the slow ticking of Grandpa John’s grandfather clock in the front hall. Ali got up and put a medium size log on the fire and pulled her sweater off before she sat back down. Her wine glass was empty and she was hungry and she had to pee but she didn’t want to leave the keeper just yet. Ten more minutes passed and Ashlyn reached her left arm out towards the brunette, resting it on the arm of the chair with her palm up. Her eyes were still staring vacantly into the fire. Ali reached her right arm out and took Ashlyn’s hand and held it. 

//

“Seriously babe, we need to decide what we’re doing. Can we please just make up our minds once and for all? It doesn’t have to be forever, just for this year.” Ali spoke between bites of lunch as she sat in the nook with the keeper the next day.

Both women had already booked their flights home to Miami and Satellite Beach for Christmas. They had agreed to talk about finalizing plans as the holidays got closer, but they just never did. Neither of them wanted to spend Christmas apart but they also couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing their families either. It was an unpopular topic of conversation and they had both let it slide until Saturday December 3rd.

“I know we do but I don’t like any of the options. I don’t know how to be in three places at once and it’s aggravating me” Ashlyn admitted with a huff.

The brunette’s ears perked up. Three places. Ashlyn had said three places. Maybe she wanted to stay in Gloucester too! Ali tried not to get her hopes up. The blonde was a Florida girl and had always loved her beach Christmases. Ali didn’t want to push her to stay in the big old house for the holiday but her romantic proposal might just be even more romantic if they didn’t have to get all packed up and deal with the stress of holiday travel soon afterwards.

“Three places huh?” she began carefully, trying not to reveal her excitement. “My mom’s, Gram’s and what’s the third place?”

Ashlyn blushed a little as she realized she had let her true desire slip out when she complained a few minutes earlier. There was no way Ali would agree to miss Christmas with her mom. She saw her so little during the year as it was and Ashlyn knew the time they spent together in Miami for the holidays was important to both of them. The keeper looked up sheepishly and gave the brunette a tiny, guilty smile.

“Well, I know we can’t really do it, but...” the blonde hesitated, knowing there would be no going back once the words left her mouth, “I’d love to just stay here with you and do our first Christmas together in our house.”

The smile on her face had gotten bigger with each word that slipped past her lips. She watched Ali’s face and was stunned to see a small smile grow there as well. It was as if they were looking into a mirror. Medium-sized grins, full of guilt and possibility, graced both their faces as their eyes got wider and wider.

“Could we do that?” Ali asked, her voice hushed but excited.

“Would you want to do that?” the keeper was having a hard time believing it was really up for discussion.

“Oh my God. Ash, I didn’t want to say anything to you because I know how much you love to go to Gram’s for Christmas, but I’ve been thinking of staying here with you too. I’d love to do that honey.”

“Really? But what about your mom? You’d be ok having Christmas up here with me instead?”

“Why is that so hard to believe?” Ali frowned and sat back up straighter in the chair. “I love spending Christmas with my mom...it’ll be so strange to not do it. But I love you Ashlyn. I don’t want to be apart from you for any more holidays. Our families are just going to have to start getting used to that.”

The brunette sounded more convincing with every passing minute. She had talked herself into it at the same time she made a believer out of her girlfriend. Ashlyn hunched down and rubbed her hands together in front of her chest as her dimple popped out of the huge grin on her face.

“We’re really going to do this, aren’t we?!” the keeper said and then squealed with excitement.

Plans were made and family members were called. Everybody said they understood and even Deb admitted that she wasn’t surprised.

“Of course it’s ok honey. I mean, I’ll miss you like crazy Alex, but it’s your first Christmas together. And your first Christmas in the house. I understand.”

“You guys can come up here if you want. I know it’s really short notice and I’m sorry we messed everything up...” Ali spoke quickly, looking for some sort of solution but Deb interrupted her.

“Alex, listen to me. It’s ok. We’ll plan better next year and figure out something that works for everyone. And for this year we’ll see you for New Year’s Eve. I think it’s going to be just great honey” Deb tried to soothe her daughter and hide her own disappointment. Kyle was bringing Nico to Miami and Deb was excited to meet the mysterious new man who had made everyone in Kyle’s life so nervous. She knew when she moved to Miami that she would have to be prepared for the times when her beloved children couldn’t or wouldn’t make the trip to see her for the holidays. It didn’t make it any easier, but she knew she had no-one to blame but herself.

The plan was to spend Christmas at the big old house. They would go to Ken’s house for a while on Christmas Eve and then go back for Christmas dinner the next afternoon but other than that they were obligation free. They would fly down to Satellite Beach right after Christmas and spend a few days with the Harris clan and then drive to Miami and spend a few days with the Christopher family. When they had discussed what to do for New Year’s eve both women were eager to re-live the luau at the club. The theme was a New England Clam Bake this year but that wasn’t important. They wanted to spend that day again as a couple who was madly in love. And, most importantly, they wanted to get the New Year’s kiss right.

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about decorations for the house and Christmas traditions that they both loved. It came as no surprise to either of them that Ashlyn was more easy-going about how and what they decorated. A lot of people, over the years, had mistaken her relaxed manner for indifference or apathy. But the keeper just didn’t have a lot of requirements for her happiness. She honestly didn’t care if the tree was lit with all white lights or multi-colored ones. She liked them both and found beauty and meaning in each option. It could be frustrating for friends who didn’t understand that about her. Sometimes they thought she didn’t care because she didn’t give a damn, which was never the case. The key to having successful relationships and friendships for the easy-going person was to speak up when something was actually important to them. Ashlyn had learned the hard way as she had grown up that she had to let people know when something really did matter to her or else they had no chance of accommodating her wants. It was one of those things that the keeper knew but often forgot to do. She had been working on it with Mattie, specifically regarding her relationship with Ali. Ali would happily decorate the whole house if Ashlyn let her. The brunette would rather have the keeper’s input and assistance but she wasn’t going to wait around for it. Ali liked to get things done and then sit back and enjoy them. The couple had already had a few experiences where they had fallen into the trap that was pre-set for them every day of their lives just because of the way their personalities were. Once Ashlyn realized that Ali just wanted an honest answer from her and that she would be just as happy to decorate the house the way Ashlyn wanted it, for example, it had been a lot easier to avoid that trap. Earlier that Fall, Mattie had asked Ashlyn one question that had clarified it all for her.

“Don’t you prefer it when Ali tells you what she wants or likes so you can do it for her without having to go through the frustration of wondering or guessing?”

Ali liked to decorate the house and bake Christmas cookies and shop and listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas movies and tv specials, even the old kid ones. One of her favorite things in the whole world to do was to go to the mall with Sydney or Kyle or her mom or, she hoped, Ashlyn, and shop for Christmas gifts for the people she loved. Then they would drag their sore feet and bank accounts to a restaurant and have lunch or dinner together. They would relax with a drink or two and compare notes and make plans for the next excursion. She loved having a real tree but hadn’t had one since her first Christmas in her small house in Stoneham. It just didn’t make sense because she always left for Miami or New York to visit Kyle before Miami. She put a big wreath on her door and put lights on the railings and bushes by her front door. She even wrapped lights around the lamp post by the end of her driveway. The brunette also put a candle in each window, a fake plastic electric candle. She preferred multi-colored string lights and white candle bulbs. The only tradition that she wanted to keep was her mom’s custom of not putting the star on top of the tree until Christmas Eve.

Ashlyn didn’t bake very much and the crowded malls stressed her out. But she loved the Christmas music and movies and tv specials too. Her favorite things were Gram’s cooking, especially her homemade fudge and chex mix that were specialties for the holiday season, and going to the beach on Christmas morning. Other than that, she liked what everybody else liked – laughing and spending time with people she loved, giving them gifts and enjoying the special magic of the holiday spirit. There was only one tradition that she wanted to bring to the big old house, well, bring back to the big old house.

“What is it Ash?” the brunette asked as she leaned back from the hug they had been sharing.

“Grandma Lilian used to do this, here in the house and I’d like to start doing it again, if it’s ok with you.”

They had just walked through the whole house talking about how they wanted to do things and trying to decide where to put the Christmas tree they were going to get the next morning. They had stopped on the second floor landing and were looking out the front window there, trying to see what their neighbors had done for exterior decorations.

“Anything you want babe” Ali answered honestly and kissed her keeper’s lips.

“She used to celebrate Epiphany. Some people call it ‘Little Christmas’ or ‘Three Kings Day’ and it has different names around the world.” 

Ashlyn turned her head to the side as Ali brought their bodies together again and nuzzled into her girlfriend’s neck as she spoke. They were both looking out the window as they hugged and talked.

“When the three wise men finally got to Bethlehem to see baby Jesus, right?” Ali asked.

“Exactly. January 6th. They followed the star of Bethlehem all the way to the manger and presented him with their three gifts.”

“Gold, frankincense and myrrh...”

“You know the story well” the keeper smiled and kissed Ali’s head. “Grandma used to light the candles in the windows, the same way you do and so many people do as part of their decorations, but she left them in her windows and lit them every night right up through Epiphany. She didn’t take them down until the day after. The candles represent the star of Bethlehem and light the way for the wise men so if you take them down too soon they won’t find their way to baby Jesus.”

“That’s really cool. I’ve heard of Epiphany and I know the story of the three kings but I didn’t realize it was something you could celebrate or honor or whatever” Ali squeezed her girlfriend and kissed her neck softly. “I think that sounds like a great tradition sweetheart. We should definitely do that.”

“Oh good, I was hoping you wouldn’t mind. There are presents too.”

“More presents?” Ali smiled against the blonde’s neck. “I’m listening” she giggled.

“This was before Christmas got so big and commercial, but Grandma and Grandpa used to exchange three small gifts on Epiphany...”

“To represent the gifts of the Magi!” Ali finished for her, excited.

“Yep. We don’t have to do that part but I always thought it was a sweet idea. Nothing big or expensive, just small things. What do you think?” she pulled her head back to look at Ali’s face and smiled when she saw the nose-crinkling grin on her favorite face.

“I love it Ash. Really, I think it’s the best idea ever” she leaned up and kissed the blonde again. “How do you know all of this? You were never up here for Christmas were you?”

“No I was never here except in the summers. But Grandma talked about it sometimes, when it came up. Like, one time I broke the trunk off of a little carved elephant she had in the front parlor and I wanted to get her a new one to replace it. She couldn’t tell me where it had come from because Grandpa had given it to her for Epiphany one year.” 

“And he wasn’t around to ask anymore.” Ali drew her own conclusion. “That’s sad. I’m sorry honey.”

//

Early that evening Ashlyn went down to get a workout in. She was going to skip that day originally but had decided to go work off some stress and anger before they ate dinner. Ali knew what she was doing and knew she’d be down there for at least an hour. She knew how upset the blonde was about not being able to see Meg next weekend as planned. They hadn’t talked about it since they sat together in the front parlor the night before, but the brunette sensed that Ashlyn had been able to find some sort of calm that was helping her get through all the emotions and fears she must be experiencing. Ali tried to think of something she could do to help. An idea came to her and she moved quickly to get things ready.

Ashlyn came down the backstairs, freshly showered after her time in the gym. 

“Something sure smells good, besides me that is” she joked for the hundredth time. 

Ali laughed in spite of herself. The keeper had made that joke almost every time the situation had presented itself, which was a lot. And the brunette rolled her eyes and laughed almost every time. Those silly moments were her favorite thing about her life with Ashlyn. For all the sadness she carried around with her, the blonde was one of the most optimistic people Ali had ever known. She brought happiness into the room with her wherever she went. Sometimes it was with a silly joke or a dorky petname or a goofy dance move. She had tried out dozens of petnames on the brunette in recent months. None of them had really stuck yet, but Ali was sure one of them would soon. She’d be in the kitchen having a snack after a workout and Ali would walk in after her day on the road and she would greet the brunette with a cheerful smile and say something like, “Hiya sweet cheeks!” or “There’s my flower blossom.” or a bunch of other cute and endearing names that always brought a smile to Ali’s face, even if it was short lived because she’d had a bad day. For those few seconds that burst of pure happiness and joy that Ashlyn sent to her could cure anything. 

Ali had planned to make one of the blonde’s favorite meals but she didn’t have time after preparing her little surprise. So she’d had to resort to putting the rotisserie chicken from the grocery store into the oven and steaming some vegetables and making some rice instead. Ashlyn hugged her from behind as she took the broccoli out of the steamer and put it on to two plates. 

“You do smell good babe” Ali agreed and turned her head around so the keeper could give her a quick kiss.

When they were finished eating Ashlyn put their plates in the dishwasher, washed the steamer and pot, and cleaned up the kitchen. They had talked about watching a movie or starting ‘Orphan Black’ on Netflix. Whitney had warned them that once they started it they wouldn’t want to stop so they should make sure they had lots of time. 

“Hey Ash, can you come in here for a minute?” Ali called out from the front parlor.

“Be right there” the blonde yelled back.

Ashlyn dried her hands on the kitchen towel and walked towards the front parlor.

“Hey princess, do you smell something burning?” she asked with mild alarm as she walked.

“Yeah, it’s in here” Ali answered seductively.

Ashlyn heard the sultry tone of her girlfriend’s voice and grinned. She saw the small fire in the double-sided fireplace as she entered the dining room. When she stepped through the doorway her jaw dropped to the floor. Ali was lying on her side on the camping mattress in front of the fireplace in the front parlor. She had pushed the two highback chairs and the little table that sat between them back towards the front of the room and covered the mattress with soft sheets and pillows. There were candles lit on the mantel and on that little table and some on the floor on either side of the room. One of their favorite sexy times playlists was coming through the speaker on the bookcase and the room was dimly lit and incredibly romantic. 

“Whoa, are you trying to give me a heart attack woman?” Ashlyn choked out around her surprise and almost instant arousal. “You look gorgeous Ali” she breathed out as her eyes settled on the beautiful brunette.

Ali wore the pale pink charmeuse lingerie that she had bought back before their first date. Somehow it had never been worn, the brunette either opting to buy something more special and specific to whatever their plans were, like the Carolina blue teddy she had worn at Mount Washington for Ashlyn’s birthday. Or, more often than not, they got too excited to take the time to change into any lingerie at all. The charmeuse was basically a short, satin nightgown that was tighter through the bodice before flaring out sexily just below her hips. The shoulder straps were thin and there was a deep v-cut in the neckline with a mostly open back. Her long dark hair had been brushed out and was curled around one of her shoulders as she smirked up at the love of her life. She stood up slowly and stepped towards the blonde, licking her lips as she got closer. She stopped a foot away from Ashlyn and cupped her face with her right hand. Ali slid her hand down the keeper’s neck and shoulder and then dragged her finger all the way across the top of her chest to her other shoulder, all the while biting her bottom lip.

“I’m going to get us some drinks” she said slowly, the words oozing out of her mouth like liquid sex. “When I get back you’d better be naked.”

Ashlyn gulped as she watched her favorite ass move through the dining room.

“Holy shit” she said to no-one but herself.

The keeper quickly disrobed, neatly piling up her clothes on one of the chairs. She admired the room for another minute and then stoked the fire before adding another log. She chose the largest one Ali had brought in because she was planning on spending a lot of time in front of that fire tonight. She sat on the mattress and leaned against the other chair counting her blessings as she waited for the most amazing woman in the world to come back through the doorway. She didn’t have to wait long. Ali walked slowly and carefully with a small serving tray in front of her. She was trying to walk sexily while not spilling anything and also not reacting to the ravishing beauty in front of her. She knelt down on the mattress as Ashlyn leaned forward and took the glass of wine from the tray. The blonde knew her drink was the glass of whiskey but it hadn’t been the thing that was in danger of falling from the tray. The brunette set the tray on the floor next to the mattress and picked up the two shot glasses. She swapped the shot glass for the wine glass with her girlfriend and smirked again at the blonde. God she was gorgeous, one long leg stretched out towards the fire and her arm resting casually on the chair behind her. 

“Here’s to us” the brunette said in a sultry voice as she clinked her shot glass with Ashlyn’s. “And to a night to remember.”

They downed their shots of whiskey and then brought their lips together in a passionate kiss. They knelt in front of the fire and kissed slowly for a long time. Their hands roamed and explored and Ashlyn loved the way the material of the lingerie felt against her nipples. She also loved the whiskey on the brunette’s breath. Ali’s mouth always tasted good but it didn’t usually taste like the keeper’s favorite liquor drink.

“Mmmmmmm you taste good” she mumbled against the brunette’s lips as they took a break to breathe. “Even better than usual” she grinned and nipped at Ali’s lip as they pulled apart.

“Now you know how great you always taste” the brunette flirted as she reached for her glass of red wine.

They sat close to each other and enjoyed their alcohol while caressing and touching each other’s thighs and arms and backs. It wasn’t long before their lips were together again, hungrier this time, both the pressure and pace of the kisses picking up. Ali needed to be closer so she straddled the blonde’s lap with a soft moan. Ashlyn moved both of her hands to the brunette’s sexy ass and kneaded it through her panties with her own moan escaping her lips. The fire had gotten bigger and warmer since the keeper had tended to it and Ali was getting hot, in more ways than one. She started to grind against Ashlyn and she wrapped her arms around the blonde’s neck to hold her close so their breasts would rub against each other, only the thin charmeuse between them. Ali felt the shot of whiskey jostling around in her brain with the red wine and making her thoughts fuzzy and horny. Ashlyn could tell she was getting worked up. It was the best feeling in the world to have this magnificent woman literally writhing in her arms like that. The blonde worked one hand lower behind Ali’s back and slipped her fingers alongside the crotch of the satin panties, grazing the brunette’s slick folds.

“Oh fuck” Ali moaned, breathless and turned on as she pulled back for more air.

She was frustrated with herself because she wanted to give Ashlyn a big orgasm to start the night off. This was all for her girl to try and help her relax and forget about toddlers and lunatic ex-girlfriends. But Ali already felt like she could come in two minutes once the keeper put her fingers inside her pulsing center. It had been almost eleven months that they had been fucking and the brunette was still surprised at how little self-control she had when she was around her naked girlfriend. 

“You ok baby?” Ashlyn asked, bringing both hands back to panty-clad ass cheeks and giving them a soft squeeze.

“Yeah, just hot” Ali took another drink of wine and smiled knowing exactly what Ashlyn would say in response.

“Hell yes you are” the blonde purred against Ali’s throat as she licked and nipped at it.

“I think I need to take this off honey. I’m sorry.”

“I was just about to suggest the same thing, sexy. Don’t be sorry” Ashlyn leaned back and took a swig of her drink, the whiskey stones rattling around in the bottom of the glass.

The brunette put her glass down and raised her arms above her head, waiting for her girlfriend to lift the lingerie off of her. Ashlyn didn’t make her wait long. She put her glass down and brought both hands up to squeeze Ali’s small but sexy breasts one more time before she removed the charmeuse.

“Jesus Christ you’re unbelievable Ali. I still can’t believe I get to touch you like this.” The blonde kissed both breasts gently and then hugged her girlfriend tight against her, finally skin on skin.

“Damn Ash, that feels good.” The brunette was struggling to retain her composure. She closed her eyes and put her forehead on the blonde’s shoulder for a minute. “Fuck, you make me crazy” Ali whispered.

The keeper moved her hands back under her girlfriend’s ass and sat up, Ali still on her lap. Ashlyn walked a few steps on her knees, carrying the brunette so she could lay her down on the mattress. Once Ali was flat on her back with the blonde kneeling between her legs, Ashlyn reached over and grabbed a pillow to put under the chocolate locks. Ali was hot and starting to sweat a little bit and her eyes seemed hazy. She wanted to rub her thighs together but Ashlyn was in the way so she just whimpered instead. The keeper smirked at her beautiful girl, all worked up and needing her long fingers to make her feel good. Ashlyn backed up a little bit and pulled Ali’s panties off of her at the same time. She brought them to her face and closed her eyes as a gush of arousal flooded her own needy core.

“Goddamn you smell good.” Ashlyn licked some of the wetness from the crotch of the panties before tossing them aside.

Ali loved when Ashlyn did that. Somehow, it wasn’t gross or tacky or anything other than fucking sexy as hell. It was like the sensitive spot by her left hip, no matter what level of excited the brunette was at, when she watched the keeper inhale her passion from her panties she immediately jumped up to the next level.

“Fuck babe” Ali husked out as she moved her hand down between her own legs, looking for some sort of relief from the building ache.

Ashlyn sat back on her heels and finished her drink as she watched the brunette move her fingers through her own wet folds, eyes locked on her keeper. She licked her lips lasciviously and felt her clit twitch as Ali pushed the tips of two fingers into her own soaked pussy and moaned. The brunette went to grab her own breast with her left hand but Ashlyn shook her head.

“No. They’re mine.” The blonde moved to Ali’s left side and knelt, facing sideways across the brunette’s body.

Ali bent her knees and opened herself up more so she could start thrusting inside her own center. She slipped her two fingers in as deep as she could, half-closing her eyes at the sensation. The brunette started moving them in and out at a slow pace, not sure what Ashlyn had planned, but knowing it would drive her wild and have her screaming in pleasure in a matter of minutes. She didn’t want to rush her own part. Ali reached her left hand down and grabbed at her girlfriend’s ass.

“Oh fuck. Mmmmm...” she moaned and watched the sexy blonde’s eyes darken right in front of her.

Ashlyn reached into her empty whiskey glass and pulled out one of the whiskey stones. It was very cold, not icy, but just the next level down. She leaned down and gave Ali a blistering kiss that had them both moaning and panting in a few minutes. Ashlyn took the stone in her fingers and moved it across Ali’s chest, just under her collarbone, from one side to the other and back again. Ali gasped in surprise and from the cold sensation and her skin burst into goosebumps.

“Oh!” the brunette said and quickened her thrusting pace just a bit.

Her nipples hardened and stood up straight while Ashlyn worked the stone around both breasts and down to her belly button. The keeper watched Ali’s ab muscles clench at the contact and then she lowered her mouth down to her left breast. She sucked the soft flesh into her mouth and swirled her hot tongue around the nipple while Ali moaned loudly.

“Jesus” the brunette breathed out, struggling to keep her eyes open. 

The blonde moved the cold stone down and between Ali’s hips, dragging it across the hot skin there. She circled the nittany lion, trying to stay out of the way of Ali’s busy right arm, and then slid it up the brunette’s left thigh as far as she could reach. More goosebumps appeared. Ashlyn released Ali’s breast and reached for a new whiskey stone. She sucked on the brunette’s other breast and moved the stone up her neck and across her forehead and cheeks.

“Oh my God” Ali groaned out. “Feels amazing...” 

The brunette could feel her orgasm as it started to gather, low in her belly. She pumped her own fingers faster and faster and wanted to bring her left hand over to work her clit but Ashlyn was in the way again. 

“Babe, my clit. Please...” Ali begged in a hoarse voice.

Ashlyn brought their lips together in a deep kiss and, at the very end as they were pulling apart, she brought her left hand to Ali’s aching clit and circled it slowly.

“I love you Ali” the keeper said quietly, almost reverently.

But the brunette was too far gone to say the words back. She raised her hips up against Ashlyn’s left hand trying to get more pressure on her bundle of nerves. The blonde grinned as she started licking and sucking on Ali’s breasts again. She moved the whiskey stone around whichever nipple wasn’t in her mouth and finally started to rub Ali’s clit with a purpose.

“Oh fuck yeah!” Ali shouted. She was hot from the fire and the stone was making her skin crawl in the best possible way. Ashlyn’s tongue was flicking her stiff nipples while her hand rubbed her clit. What would the keeper think of next? Before she could really ponder that she felt herself start to climb, fast. 

Ashlyn watched as Ali’s mouth dropped open and she started to pant, chest moving up and down rapidly while trying to breathe in the middle of all the stimulation. 

“Harder, a little harder” Ali grunted out, so close to her release she could practically feel it.

The keeper applied more pressure to her clit and moved her hand as fast as she could over it. The stone was busy on Ali’s right breast while Ashlyn’s tongue worked on her left. As soon as the blonde gently scraped her teeth across Ali’s nipple the brunette came fast and with a mangled cry that Ashlyn hadn’t heard from her before.

“Yesssssssssss!” she hissed out as the orgasm crashed all around her. 

Her whole body shook and she closed her eyes, pressed her head back against the pillow and arched her back. Ali stretched her legs out straight and flexed her toes as she rode out the strong orgasm. She pulled her fingers out of her soaking wet pussy and tried to pull Ashlyn down next to her with her left arm but the keeper had other plans. She tossed the whiskey stone back into the glass and took Ali by the wrist, bringing her right hand up to her own lips. Ashlyn sucked every drop of passion from Ali’s fingers and hand and then moved down between the brunette’s legs to lick everything she could from there as well.

“Fuck you taste so good” she uttered lustfully and tried to be gentle with all of her girlfriend’s sensitive parts.

After several minutes the brunette pulled Ashlyn up next to her and gave her a slow, deep, satisfying kiss. They lay on their sides, facing each other with their legs intertwined.

“Thank you honey” Ali kissed her again on the lips. “That was amazing.”

“You’re amazing Al. You’re just fucking awesome. Thank you for helping out with that one” Ashlyn said sincerely and kissed Ali’s hand.

They lay like that for several minutes, resting and talking and loving.

“Thank you for doing all of this for me tonight honey.” The keeper met the brunette’s gaze and leaned forward to give her lips another soft kiss. “You’re always so sweet to me and I really appreciate it.”

“I’d do anything for you Ashlyn. Anything” Ali answered with emotion in her voice.

“I loved that lingerie too” the blonde commented. “It wasn’t really a babydoll. What was it?”

“It’s called a charmeuse which I think really just means sexy nightie” the brunette giggled. “I’m glad you liked it.”

“Do you ever wish I wore more lingerie for you?” Ashlyn dropped her eyes, suddenly shy and self-conscious. “Because I’ll wear whatever you...”

Ali interrupted her nervous rambling with another kiss. Once she had the blonde’s attention she smiled and caressed Ashlyn’s face.

“I don’t care if you wear it or not sweetheart” she was touched by how shy her girlfriend had become. “Honestly. I love to see you in it because you look sexy as hell.” Ali kissed her again. “But I don’t ever miss it when you don’t wear it. Not for a second. Do you know what I mean?”

“I think so. I feel the same way. It’s awesome but I don’t miss it when you’re not wearing it either” the keeper agreed with a nod of her head and a small smile. 

“You’re so beautiful just like this Ash. Just naked and in my arms. This is my favorite.” Ali brought their lips together in another deep kiss that quickly turned passionate as the brunette rolled them over and climbed on top of her girlfriend. “We’d better put another log on the fire. I’ve got lots of things I want to do to you, gorgeous.”


	43. Studio Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Teeny tiny mention of smut.

By the time the electrician came Tuesday morning to install the four special lights for Ashlyn’s studio the exterior of the house had been decorated. It may not be what they ended up doing forever, but for their first year, with very little time, it would do just fine. Because the house was so big and they just couldn’t decide what to do with the string lights for the outside, they decided against using them that first year. Instead, there was a candle in every window and a big fresh wreath on the big front door with a big red ribbon bow at the bottom of it. There was a smaller, matching wreath and bow on the side entry door that they used 99% of the time. They wrapped fresh pine garland around the eight vertical columns at the front porch and the two at the side entry porch. All of the wreaths and strings of garland were simple and natural, without any other decorative additions to them, except the bows on the wreaths. The last thing they did for the exterior was to wrap garland around the mailbox post down by the street at the foot of the driveway and tie a matching red ribbon bow to it as well.

Ali had been excited to buy new candles for the windows. The ones she had been using were old. She used to have to plug each one in when she got home for the day and then go around and unplug each one before she went to bed. Her house was so small that it was never a big deal for her. But the idea of doing that at the big old house was daunting. Ashlyn went online and found cordless candles that you could control with a remote. The house was so big that they would still have to walk around to a few different spots with the remote to get them to work but it was a huge improvement. Even the electrician agreed they were the good ones when the brunette asked him about the candles. 

The struggle about where to put the Christmas tree was real. It had been the hardest thing to agree on and it wasn’t because they didn’t agree with each other. It was mostly because there were so many places it could go. A strong case could be made for it being placed in either the front parlor or the living room in front of those big, floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the front porch. For a number of reasons they finally decided to put it in the family room. They moved the coffee table and couch forward towards the tv a few feet and set up the tree against the left side wall between the back of the couch and the nook in the back left corner of the room. There was a door there, glass on the top half like the one in the kitchen on the opposite wall, but they rarely used it so they weren’t concerned about blocking it with the tree. Part of the reason they had chosen the family room was because of the big double-sided fireplace it shared with the kitchen. They hung their stockings on the big mantel and decorated it with more garland and some other cute Christmas knickknacks. 

The whole house felt special but the family room was ground zero for the holiday spirit. The room was significant to the young couple too. It was where they had spent so much time when Ashlyn first started living in the house, before the other rooms were furnished. It was on that couch in that room that they had finally confronted their feelings for each other and shared their first uncompromised and true kiss. They loved eating breakfast and drinking their coffee in the nook, enjoying the sun as it shone in through the windows there. They had moved most of their evening activities to the living room over the course of that year but that family room meant more than they realized until they had to pick just one room for their first Christmas tree.

Ali had two totes full of Christmas decorations, not counting any tree ornaments, that she had used at her house. They spread them all out on the dining room table and the brunette told Ashlyn about the ones that meant the most to her. There were lots of things that she had just picked up on a whim because she thought they were cute or would match something she already had. They decided together which things they would use in their house and put the rest back in one of the totes. Their plan was to add to those things as they found something they both loved. They resisted the urge to run out and buy a whole bunch of stuff just to have a certain amount of decoration in each room of the big house. 

The thing that meant the most to Ali was her advent calendar. Hers was a small one made of sturdy cardboard and thick, heavy paper. It was shaped like a Christmas tree and only a foot tall and 2” thick, but it had twenty-four little drawers that you could pull out. She had gotten it at Starbucks, of all places, the first year she bought her house and it had come with a chocolate inside each little drawer. On one end of the drawer was a number, 1-24, and on the other end of the drawer was a tiny part of a snowy village scene. So when you first got it set up all you could see were the numbers, spread randomly around. And each morning when she pulled a drawer out and flipped it around she revealed a different part of the snowy village scene. By the time she flipped the last drawer on the morning of Christmas Eve the scene was complete. She had gotten a couple to give to some of her good customers and kept one for herself because she liked it so much. Deb had a beautiful wooden advent calendar at her house. It was the one they had grown up with and Ali adored it. Deb’s was shaped like a house and had little doors that you opened to reveal a chocolate or candy. Ali and Kyle used to take turns opening a door every morning. Deb used to put little candy treats in there the night before and a special chocolate on the first day and then on the last day, the 24th. Kyle always went first because he was oldest and that meant Ali always got the last one on the morning of Christmas Eve so it worked out perfectly for the competitive siblings. The brunette’s ideal advent calendar would look and work like her Starbucks tree one, but be made of wood like her mom’s.

“What was your favorite decoration growing up babe?” Ali asked, always a little afraid to inquire about the keeper’s challenging childhood.

“We didn’t really have much until we moved in with Gram.” Ashlyn was standing in the doorway to the dining room, admiring the tree. “But I always loved her nativity set. I’ve never seen another one like it. It was made of wood and had real straw in it. It was a real little stable, in miniature, right down to the wooden manger filled with straw. And you couldn’t put the baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas morning. Gram said it was bad luck to put him in before then.”

“I don’t remember seeing that last year” Ali said as she hugged her keeper from behind and kissed her shoulder. “Although I waaas pretty distracted by this hot blonde chick” she chuckled as Ashlyn squeezed her arms in front of her.

“No, you definitely couldn’t have seen it. We had to throw it away a few years ago” the blonde explained with her own chuckle. “Apparently Gram had some squirrels that got into her attic and, for whatever reason, they decided that little stable would be good eating.” Both women laughed softly but Ali heard the sorrow in the keeper’s voice. “We tried to salvage it but it was completely destroyed. Some of the figures were ok but most of them had been gnawed on and pretty badly disfigured. We ended up throwing the whole thing out when my dad came over and reminded us all about rabies and all the other diseases those little rodents can carry.”

“Ugh, gross. I never thought of that” Ali shuddered at the thought.

“Yeah us either. It was like a comedy routine when Chris and I tried to get to the shower first, taking our clothes off along the way” Ashlyn laughed out loud at the memory. “Gram took it all in stride though. And we got the exterminator to come and make sure the squirrels got taken care of, and then Chris and my dad got up there and found and patched up the hole they had used to get in.” The blonde chuckled again. “It wasn’t the merriest of Christmases but we laughed a lot more than usual every time anybody made any kind of squirrel reference. The rest of the family thought we were nuts until we finally told them what had happened.”

“We’ll have to try and find a nice nativity set then. I don’t have one either. No rush, we’ll do it like the dining room table. When we see the right one we’ll get it” Ali offered as she squeezed the blonde again. “You’ll have to make me a sketch of it so I know what I’m looking for. Ok? And do it soon because lots of things go on sale right after Christmas.”

“That’s a great idea. You shop way more than I do so that’s smart thinking princess. I’ll get it done soon.” 

Ashlyn turned in Ali’s arms and gave her a slow but sweet kiss. What she didn’t know was that Ali was already plotting a surprise for next Christmas.

//

It was Friday and Ali had told the keeper that she needed to spend most of the day in her office to get some work things done. She had spent every afternoon and evening that week with Ashlyn enjoying the holiday season and getting things crossed off of their Christmas list of things to do. The blonde decided to go and try and finish her Christmas shopping for her family and get some things for Ali too. It was perfect for the brunette’s plan and she was lucky to have Ashlyn out of the house for a few hours. 

As soon as the keeper left, right after they shared a quick lunch together at the kitchen table, the brunette went back up to the third floor and started moving all of the things she had bought for Ashlyn’s surprise from their hiding places in her office file drawers over to the studio. Ali set up the furniture pieces the way the blonde had sketched them out for her. None of it matched and Ashlyn said she preferred it that way up in that space. The room was supposed to be all about creativity. Ashlyn had painted the walls that neutral color on purpose so it didn’t influence or distort the way she saw the colors she was actually using. Ali changed out the lightbulbs in all of the other lights in the room to full spectrum ones that simulated the look of natural light so you could paint or draw at night if that’s when you had the time to create. When she was done putting the pieces where they belonged she stood in the doorway and took in the room. The couch was along the interior wall in the back right corner of the room, about three feet away from the corner. On either side of it were tall aluminum bookcases. They were deeper than normal shelves so you could store flat boxes of different sized paper on them if you needed to. In the back left corner of the room was Ali’s old lateral two-drawer filing cabinet. And on the left side of the room, the exterior wall, was Ali’s old desk. Those two items were the only two things that actually matched. There was a big wooden easel, adjustable, in the front left corner of the room with some rolling storage shelves on either side of it. These were the units that had the plastic wheels and then one shelf on the bottom and then the top or table part of it, open on all four sides. There were four of these throughout the room and they would store supplies that Ashlyn would use and want near her. So she could just pull whatever storage table she wanted over to where she was working and have access to all of her brushes or pencils or whatever. In the middle of the room, under the four special lights, was a big work table. It was also on wheels so the keeper could push it off to the side if she needed or wanted to. There was a stool at the desk and two more of them at the work table. They were adjustable and had padded seats, one of them had a back on it too. 

The brunette felt good about getting the layout the way her girlfriend had wanted and went on to the next phase. She organized brushes, pencils, chalks, watercolor paints, acrylic paints, everything you could want to use in an art studio into labelled storage boxes. All of the boxes were open so Ashlyn could easily grab whatever she needed, but they were all different shapes and sizes. The brush box was taller than the watercolor paints box. She loaded in drawing paper, sketching paper, and regular paper along with some canvases that Ashlyn could use to create. There were some drop cloths folded up in the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet with some rags and work cloths in the top drawer. Two spray bottles filled with water stood on top of the filing cabinet, ready to save the day from any creative mishaps. There was a third spray bottle filled with cleaner for anything water couldn’t take care of. Ashlyn was worried about destroying the beautiful hardwood floor up there between paint and solvent and wheels. The drop cloths would help with a lot of that concern. At the back of the room, near the corner with the couch, was Ashlyn’s inspiration wall. They had hung a big corkboard that was six feet wide by 5 feet tall on the rear wall there and Ashlyn had already stuck a few pictures on it with thumb tacks. The only thing in the room with any real personality on it was the trash can Ali had just moved in there. It was two feet tall and round and it had a great white shark encircling it.

As she turned off the light and went back downstairs to wait for Ashlyn to come home, the brunette made a mental note to ask her about the four unfinished paintings she had found stacked roughly in the back corner by the desk.

When Ashlyn finally got home at about 6pm she wasn’t in a very good mood. Traffic on a Friday night could be challenging, especially with the Christmas shoppers adding to the hubbub. Shopping wasn’t the blonde’s favorite thing to do either. It drained her whereas it usually exhilarated Ali. And the brunette knew that it would be a tough weekend. This was the weekend she was supposed to be in DC with Meg. They ate a quiet dinner and were going to watch some more of ‘Orphan Black’ and just relax together for the night. Ashlyn went upstairs to change into comfy sweats and when she walked out of the bathroom pushing her glasses onto her face Ali met her with a shy smile.

“Hey princess” she greeted quietly with a half-smile on her weary face.

“Can I borrow you for just a few minutes before we start the show?” she reached her hand out for Ashlyn to take, but the blonde hesitated. “I promise it won’t take long. And it’s ok if you’re tired or sad or cranky.”

Ashlyn took her hand and followed her up to the third floor. She was confused when they turned to the right instead of to the left. The keeper had assumed Ali wanted to show her something in her office. Before she could even wonder what was going on, the brunette had thrown open the door to the studio and turned the lights on, stepping into the room and out of the blonde’s way.

“Surprise Ash” she announced softly, knowing her girl wasn’t in the mood for a big noisy display just then.

Ali didn’t say another word for almost twenty minutes as she watched Ashlyn, with a slightly stunned half-smile on her face, walk through every inch of the space, opening drawers and inspecting storage boxes. She peered into containers stocked with brushes and markers and pulled out drawers full of all different kinds of paper. There were storage trays with erasers and scissors and glue, and others with colored pencils and even crayons. She squatted down and smiled as she looked at some of her big art books that had been put on the bottom shelf of the new bookshelves next to the couch. She ran her hand across the smooth surface of the work table and turned the worklight on that was attached to the end of it by a clamp. The blonde chuckled when she saw the shark trash can and her face got lighter in that moment. One of the layers of shadow had just lifted, right in front of Ali’s eyes. The keeper went to the big easel in the front corner and put her nose right up to it, smelling the wood it was made out of.

“Don’t worry, your other one is still here” the brunette pointed to the back corner, next to the filing cabinet. “And if there’s anything you don’t like we can just get rid of it. Please don’t feel like you have to keep something just because I thought you might want or need it. I don’t know what I’m doing in here babe.” Ali chuckled and looked down bashfully. “I hope it’s ok...”

Ashlyn cut her off by wrapping her up in a huge hug. She lifted the brunette up off the ground and spun her around, twice.

“I love it” the keeper said quietly as she put her girlfriend down. “I can’t believe you did all of this Al. When did you find time to do everything?”

“I know we agreed to wait until next month, after Christmas and everything, but I just couldn’t wait.” 

Ali was pleased to see a genuine smile spreading across Ashlyn’s face as she continued to take the room in. There was so much to see that it would take her a while before she saw everything Ali had loaded in. The keeper kissed Ali’s hand as she moved over to sit on the stool at the work table. She spun around like a little kid a few times before moving to the stool at the desk. She sat down slowly and leaned against the back of the stool as she focused her eyes on the small sculpture on the corner of the desk.

“I know you’re not supposed to have a lot of things on your surfaces. I just wasn’t sure where to put it. And it doesn’t have to stay in here at all...” Ali spoke quickly and apologetically, still standing inside the door where she had been the whole time.

Ashlyn picked up the piece and held it in her hands, turning it every which way and admiring it from all angles. It was a dark grey sculpture of a mermaid, only about a foot wide by 8” tall. The base of it was heavier and thicker and comprised mostly of the tail, bent and pointing to the right. It was very plain, there were only a few carvings on it for definition. The mermaid was faceless but the scales in her tail had been done beautifully. Her hair also had more detail than anything other than the tail and it spread out all around her head as if she were underwater. It was the closest likeness to the blonde’s siren tattoo that Ali had ever seen. 

“You found my siren” Ashlyn finally said as she turned to look at her wonderful girlfriend. “I love her. She’s perfect.”

Ashlyn put the sculpture back on the desk and got up and crossed the room. She hugged Ali again as tears started to fall down her cheeks.

“Don’t cry yet sweetheart” Ali pulled back and moved them both towards the wall by the door. “You haven’t turned your fancy new lights on yet.” She pushed a button on the wall and the four lights lit up the work table. “There, now you can cry as long as you want” Ali kissed the side of her head as they both looked towards the middle of the room.

“They’re happy tears Al” the blonde explained as she wiped her eyes with one hand. “I love my surprise and I love you and I’m just so happy right now.”

Two hours later Ali lay naked on the couch in the studio. She was on her back and her left side was towards the room and her left arm was stretched languidly up above her head over the arm of the couch. Her left leg was bent at the knee and leaning over against the back of the couch, revealing a little bit of Ashlyn’s favorite butt. Ali’s head was turned to the left as well, leaning against her upstretched arm. Her eyes were closed and her beautiful brown hair was cascading down the middle of her chest. Ashlyn sat on a stool four feet away, sketching on her old easel. She loved the new one, but she knew exactly how her old one worked and she had been in a hurry to start sketching. 

The brunette’s nose twitched and then she stretched her leg out straight, making an adorable little half-moan, half-squeal as she opened her eyes. She blinked a few times and waited for her contacts to adjust. She had the kind you could sleep in but she didn’t like to do that. She always took them out before she went to bed or took a nap.

“Oh shit” she said quickly and brought her knee back up into place again once she realized where she was.

Ashlyn chuckled from her stool. “It’s ok honey, you can move. You must be stiff. Thank you for doing this for me.” The blonde put her charcoal down and wiped her hands on the rag before kneeling next to her beautiful girlfriend and kissing her softly. “You’re the best model ever.” She kissed her again. “And the most magnificent.”

“Ok, now you’re laying it on a little thick” Ali giggled and enjoyed another of the keeper’s kisses. “I had a nice nap though” she quipped as she stretched again. 

The brunette’s neck was stiff and her left arm was numb. Ashlyn took care of her arm first, pulling it into her lap and rubbing it until the pins and needles came and then finally went. She placed gentle kisses up Ali’s arm and then rubbed her stiff neck for several minutes, trying not to get too distracted by Ali’s stiff nipples. When she bent down and pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to the back of the brunette’s neck they both felt the charge between them. Ali reached back and caressed the keeper’s hip and stretched a little farther to get a hold of her ass.

“Do you know how hard it was to sit here and look at your beautiful naked self for two hours?” Ashlyn whined as Ali turned towards her and kissed her soundly.

“Nope” Ali answered, mumbling against her favorite lips. “Why don’t you tell me all about it.”

The brunette pulled back and moved to the opposite end of the couch. She rested her head on a throw pillow against the arm of the couch and spread her legs open, right foot on the floor. Ashlyn’s mouth literally started watering as she looked at Ali’s inviting pussy.

“Fuck Al” she moaned as she quickly took her clothes off, never taking her eyes off of her dampening prize.

“That’s the idea, sexy” Ali flirted seductively. “Hurry up and get naked with me.”

Ashlyn dropped the last of her clothes, her boxer briefs, to the floor and got on the couch, on her stomach. She moved her face between Ali’s legs and hungrily began eating her out.

“God I love you” she mumbled into the brunette’s folds, reaching up to fondle her breast with one hand and hold her hand with the other. “So damned much.”

Ali clasped her hand tightly and enjoyed the vibrations her words were causing inside her core. “I love you too baby.”

Later that night, after they were wrapped up together in bed, Ashlyn kissed Ali’s neck from her position as the big spoon.

“You are so good to me Al. I can’t tell you how incredible you make me feel” she squeezed her girlfriend around her middle. “And I don’t just mean incredible like in the orgasm way either.”

They both chuckled and enjoyed how close they had felt for the past several hours. Ashlyn had been so quiet and worn down when she had gotten home. But ever since the studio surprise her mood had lifted as the minutes passed by. Ali wanted to ask her about the canvases she had seen but didn’t want to bring her girl down in any way. They were both quiet for another minute before the brunette took the plunge.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything, princess” Ashlyn nuzzled the back of her neck again.

“When I was setting up your studio this afternoon I saw those paintings of Lilian, the unfinished canvases...” she paused, nervous about Ashlyn’s reaction. “I wasn’t snooping or anything...”

“Al, I’m not hiding anything from you” the blonde said quietly. “Except your Christmas present, that I am definitely hiding from you.” They both chuckled. “Thankfully I wasn’t hiding it in the studio” she giggled and kissed her girlfriend’s cheek.

“Are you painting Lilian? Is that what your tribute for her is going to be?”

Ashlyn let out a frustrated sigh and the brunette regretted bringing it up when she felt the tension return to the keeper’s body.

“Yeah, well, that was the plan. But I’m not a portraitist that’s for damned sure. I’m barely a painter and I don’t know why I thought I could just paint a nice portrait of her...just because I wanted to.” The blonde sighed again and rolled onto her back, leaving her left arm stretched out under Ali’s neck. “And then I announced that I was doing it in front of everybody at your party and now I’m just fucking stuck.”

Ali rolled over onto her other side and got up on her elbow so she could see her favorite face better. She moved some blonde hair off of Ashlyn’s forehead and brushed her thumb across her beautiful cheekbone. The brunette was annoyed for a second when she heard Mattie’s voice in her head. She took a beat and kissed the keeper’s other cheek.

“I’m sorry honey. That sounds really frustrating.”

“It is and I have nobody to blame but my stupid self” Ashlyn answered and met Ali’s eyes with a shake of her head.

“Don’t say that Ash. I hate when you say that.” The brunette tilted her head and raised her eyebrow to challenge the blonde. She moved her hand to the top of Ashlyn’s chest and rested it there. “I think you spoke from your heart that day and I know you’re going to paint or sketch or carve or make something beautiful for your grandma that will hang on one of these walls and remind everybody of what a great lady she was. I don’t doubt that for a second babe.” 

Ashlyn blinked a couple of tears away and put her hand on top of the brunette’s.

“Thank you for always believing in me, even when I don’t believe in myself sometimes” the keeper said softly.

“Always honey” Ali leaned down and gave her a slow kiss. “Can I tell you something I’m learning the hard way?”

“Yes, please.”

“Before last year I did nothing but work. I mean, I hung out with friends a little bit and saw my family, but 90% of my time was spent working.” Ali watched her fingers slowly tracing patterns across the blonde’s chest and shoulder as she talked. “Then last year happened and I started living a more balanced life. I actually had a social life and I made some new friends.”

Ashlyn playfully patted the brunette’s butt with her left hand and they both giggled.

“And my work has suffered. I didn’t feel it so much last year, but this year I feel it for sure.”

“Al, I didn’t realize...”

“No, it’s ok, that’s the point. I put so much pressure on myself to be great at my job and all it does is make it harder for me because I’m always worrying that I haven’t done enough.”

Ashlyn looked at her and frowned, confused.

“As usual, the girl who talks for a living can’t explain herself to her own girlfriend” Ali rolled her eyes and chuckled.

“Keep going” the keeper encouraged.

“I can’t spend 90% of my time working. I don’t want to. And what that means is that I’m going to lose some sales and probably some more customers and that’s just going to have to be ok. That’s what I’ve been learning the hard way. Life is going to do what it’s going to do and you have to figure out how to roll with the punches. As much as I love to have a plan in place that everyone can follow, even I know that shit happens.”

“Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend” Ashlyn teased as she looked nervously around the room and then laughed.

“I know, right?” Ali chuckled. “But sometimes you just have to say ‘oh well’ and let some things go. Like, maybe your deadline to have something done for Lilian by the time we had my party. Maybe, and I don’t know this for sure, but just maybe you put extra pressure on yourself and that made everything harder.”

Ashlyn pulled Ali down into a hug and the brunette snuggled into her side, keeping her hand on the blonde’s chest. They were quiet for a couple of minutes. Ali could almost hear the gears turning inside Ashlyn’s head.

“That’s exactly what happened” the keeper admitted. 

“Why does there have to be a deadline on it?” Ali queried. “Especially with your creative juices, doesn’t that stuff just happen when it happens? You can’t schedule inspiration, right?” 

“Right” the blonde replied and kissed her girl on the forehead. "Maybe if I just relax a little I’ll feel better about it and something will come to me.”

“There you go. I think it’s worth a try anyway.”

“Ali?”

“Yeah babe?”

“I’m sorry you’ve had such a tough year at work. I know you kept a lot of that to yourself because you didn’t want to add to my stress, and I appreciate you being so thoughtful...” she paused to make sure her girlfriend was paying attention. “But don’t you ever do that again.” There was an edge to her voice and Ali heard it loud and clear. “I mean it. I want to be here for you just as much as you’re here for me. 50/50 partnership, remember?”

“I remember Ash.”

“I’m not fragile. I’m not going to fall apart every other month, not anymore anyway. I’m good again and I won’t let myself get bad again. But you’ve got to start treating me like I’m good and normal too. You don’t have to baby me and protect me. I don’t want you to carry me through our life together Al. God, I’d hate that. I need you to walk with me, like our 3-legged race last year, and hold me up when I stumble.” The blonde’s voice got stronger and more emotional with every word. “I don’t want you to keep the big stuff or the hard stuff to yourself until you think I’m ready. That’s no way to live. It’s not fair to either of us. I need to be your equal, not your responsibility.”

It was everything Ali had wanted to hear since Halloween. She didn’t want to treat the blonde with kid gloves, but she found herself doing it more often than not. It had taken a toll on both of them.

“I want you to be my equal too Ash. I want that more than anything. I want you to pick me up when I stumble. I don’t want to wonder how you’re going to take whatever it is that I’m going to tell you. But that means I have to trust you to tell me when you are having trouble. Don’t make me wonder. Tell me, be honest, say you’re having a hard day or week or whatever. The only way I can promise to start treating you like ‘normal’ is if you promise to tell me when you’re not feeling that way.”

“I get it Al. I really do.” Ashlyn paused for a minute as she rubbed her girlfriend’s shoulder. “I’m having a hard time this weekend, missing my Christmas with Meg.”

Ali pressed a kiss into the keeper’s neck and gently rubbed her hand across her chest.

“And I know you surprised me early with the studio to try and cheer me up and it was an awesome surprise and it definitely helped me a lot. Thank you sweetheart.” Ashlyn leaned down, waited for the brunette to tilt her lips up and then kissed them. “But I might not be great company this weekend. I’ll try, but...”

“Ashlyn, if you need to be sad this weekend that’s ok. I don’t want to distract you out of it. I don’t like when you’re sad. I don’t want you to hurt. But I’ll still be right here with you. No matter what. Unless you want to be alone. And that’s ok too as long as you tell me.”

“I’d always rather be with you Al. Last week, when I first found out, and you sat with me in front of the fire. That was perfect. I feel bad because that probably wasn’t fun for you, but it was perfect for me.”

Ali moved her arm down and hugged her girl tight and held her like that for a few minutes. Ashlyn hugged her back and kissed the top of her head. Both women were relieved. The conversation hadn’t ended up where it had begun but where it needed to go. Neither woman had ever had that type of stripped down, brutally honest exchange of needs and wants before. They had come close in their therapist’s office. But no conversation had ever been quite this unvarnished or stark. As they lay there, literally and figuratively stripped naked before each other, both women knew they had fallen even deeper in love.


	44. Proposal

Having Ashlyn home that weekend had been a challenge for Ali. Although she was thrilled to spend more time with her girlfriend, even though she was sad, the brunette thought she would have that weekend to herself to finalize preparations for Monday morning. The keeper was getting in the way of her own surprise proposal! By the time Ashlyn went up to explore her studio late Sunday afternoon, it was too late for Ali to execute some parts of her plan. It was almost like fate was challenging her to live up to her own speech the other night about rolling with the punches. So, roll with them she would. 

She took advantage of the blonde’s absence and called her mom to soothe her nerves and Sydney for a pep talk. Ali felt terrible that she hadn’t told Kyle yet. To embark on such a momentous event in her life without him felt wrong and she regretted not including him.

“Hi Sis. What’s shakin’?” Kyle had answered on the second ring.

“Hey Ky, can you talk? Do you have a minute?” she spoke quickly and quietly as she stood in the family room hoping Ashlyn didn’t come down the backstairs.

“What’s the matter? Are you ok?” 

“I’m fine. I just...can you talk?”

“Yes. Let me just go someplace quiet. You’re freaking me out right now, you know that, right?”

“I’m sorry BB. I’m good. It’s good. Everything’s great, I promise.” She exhaled the last few words and he could hear the happiness in her voice.

“Ok, so what’s going on with you crazy lady?”

Ali gave him the short version and explained why she was in such a rush. When she was done she finally exhaled, happy to have gotten it all out.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Kyle’s words were short and sharp.

Ali knew he was upset and she couldn’t blame him. She’d be incredibly hurt if he had done the same thing to her. At the time it had seemed like the best thing to do but she could not have been more sorry at that very moment.

“I’m sorry Ky. You had a lot going on with Nico and I just didn’t want to...I don’t know, rub it in your face or something that I’m so happy.”

Kyle was quiet for several minutes but the brunette knew he was still there. She gave him the time he wanted and when he finally spoke she was relieved even though his words were harsh.

“That was pretty fucking stupid Alex. I can’t believe you thought I couldn’t be happy for you just because I’ve never been as happy as you.” He took another minute and bit back some words that wouldn’t have been very helpful for either of them. “That really hurts me Al. It’s insulting.”

“Kyle” she started but her emotions got the best of her and she started to cry. She knew she didn’t have much time so she forced out quiet, mangled words through her tears. “I’m so...sorry. I know...I hurt you...and if I could...go back...and do it...again...I would...tell you...first.” She took a big breath and wiped her nose on the back of her hand. “I love you...so much. And there’s...no way...I could do this...without you...that’s why I had...to talk to you...first.”

He made her wait again and she knew she deserved it. It seemed like small punishment for how much she knew she had hurt him. She hadn’t kept anything like this from him since Emily. When he still hadn’t spoken after a few minutes she tried again.

“The only reason I didn’t tell you was because I didn’t want to hurt you.” Her tears had slowed and her breathing was starting to steady. “And I hurt you anyway. I’m sorry Kyle. Please talk to me” she begged.

“I still think it’s one of the dumbest things you’ve ever done, but I can see how you thought you were doing me a favor.” Kyle’s tone was still short but softer than before. “And part of it’s my fault too. We got a little disconnected this Fall and part of that’s on me.”

“I still should have told you. Thanks for trying to take some of the heat, but this one’s my fault. I’m sorry Ky.”

He was quiet for another minute and then he moved on, not quite as bright as he normally was but at least he was still talking to her.

“So how are you going to do it?”

The brunette explained her plan as quickly and quietly as she could, terrified that Ashlyn would come downstairs any minute. When she finished she took a deep breath and listened as her big brother chuckled on the other end of the phone.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, a little defensive. “Is it a dumb plan? Do you think she’ll think it’s lame?”

“No, I think she’ll love it. I think you’ll have her crying like a baby and it’ll be glorious.”

“Then what’s so fucking funny?”

“You. The ultimate planner” he giggled. “And you can’t get your plan executed because she didn’t go away this weekend.” He laughed out loud again, which made his sister chuckle quietly too. “It’s just too funny and ironic.”

They took a minute and laughed together, both enjoying the tension-free moments.

“Listen sis” he began, seriously, “it’s a beautiful plan just the way it is. So what that you won’t have the extras like the champagne or the playlist or the picnic. It’s heartfelt and honest and true, just like you are. It’s perfect and she’ll love it.”

“Thanks Ky” she whispered, trying not to cry again. “I love you so much. You know that, right?”

“I know. I love you too Alex.”

//

Ali had met, on her own, with Mattie eight times. She had gone to see the therapist twice a month starting in August. At first it seemed like just a repeat of the work she had done with the other therapist back in 2011, right after Emily had left. But Ali was determined to beat her fear once and for all, no matter what it took. Ashlyn was too important. The brunette wasn’t going to leave anything to chance. She gave Mattie some leeway and tried to keep an open mind. Mattie’s assessment of the Emily relationship and break-up and reunion and proposal and abandonment was very similar to the previous therapist’s analysis. Mattie had taken her time with Ali so she could be sure they covered all the bases and went through all the steps. She wasn’t going to just accept Ali’s description of another therapist’s diagnosis of Emily or the relationship. Mattie wanted to make sure everything they talked about was as current as possible. She always brought things back around to 2016 and how Ali felt about them currently. 

After five visits Ali started to get a little discouraged. At their sixth appointment at the end of October Mattie called her out on it and the brunette had to admit that she didn’t think they were getting anywhere and that she was becoming frustrated. All the therapist could do was to reassure her that they were making progress, even if Ali couldn’t recognize it. She asked the brunette to trust her. Then Ashlyn’s Halloween drama happened and the therapist saw something unleashed in Ali that she thought she could use to help the brunette in her work on the Emily situation. At their seventh solo meeting Mattie followed her gut and took Ali down a slightly different path as they talked together.

“When you brought Ashlyn in last week I noticed something that I think is relevant to our work on your past with Emily” the therapist began. “Please, jump in if I’ve got this wrong. You were angry with Ashlyn, angrier than I’ve ever seen you. You were beyond frustrated and clearly into angry. You told me so on the phone when I tried to get you to come back in.”

“Yes. I’m not sure I’ve been angrier with her. I don’t know.”

“Do you remember what you said to me on the phone?”

“Umm, that I didn’t think it was a good idea.”

“Yes, but you said ‘I’m still too angry and I don’t want to say something I’ll regret’. Does that ring a bell?”

Ali nodded, watching Mattie’s kind face, waiting for the big reveal.

“You had every right to be angry with Ashlyn. I don’t know anybody who wouldn’t have been furious if they were in your shoes. It was a completely valid response to the situation. Do you understand that Ali?”

“Yeah, I guess so. But...”

“Ah,” Mattie interrupted her with an excited twinkle in her eye, “but nothing.”

Ali frowned at the woman and shifted in her seat a little bit.

“I’m not positive about this, we have a lot to talk about still, but I believe part of why you can’t let your failed relationship with Emily truly go is because you never allowed yourself to be angry about it.” She paused and waited while Ali chewed her bottom lip, deep in thought. “Does that seem like a possibility?”

The brunette considered the idea some more.

“I guess so. I was pretty upset with her. I guess I don’t know how to gauge it really.”

“Can I tell you what I think?”

“God, yes please” Ali chuckled. She was nervous and a little excited that they might be about to have a breakthrough. She needed to see a little light at the end of the tunnel.

“From what I’ve seen, and from what Ashlyn’s told me, you’re a very good communicator. You are comfortable telling the people close to you how you feel and what you need and what you want and what you think. And that’s wonderful. Honestly, if more people communicated like you the world wouldn’t need as many therapists” she chuckled and smiled warmly at the brunette. “You’re intuitive and smart and you listen and anticipate better than most people I’ve known. But I think your fatal flaw might be that you don’t let yourself get angry with the people you love. You swallow it and keep it in until you’ve worked through it on your own and can resume normal intimacy levels with whichever loved one you were angry with.”

“But Ashlyn will be happy to tell you that I get mad at her and let her know about it. That’s the joke she makes, she doesn’t have to worry about going to bed mad with me because I’ll never let it get that far” Ali countered, distractedly pulling on her fingers in her lap.

“Ok but those are everyday things for the most part, correct? Like putting the milk container back in the fridge when it’s empty or leaving the cap off of the toothpaste. Right?”

“That’s right, for the most part” the brunette tried to think back to another time when she was furious with the keeper. “But there was the time she disappeared after her Orlando game, right before she started seeing you. That was definitely the most angry I’ve ever been with her.”

“Ok good. Do you remember how you handled that anger?”

Ali closed her eyes and thought back to that night when Ashlyn had told her about her depression. She chuckled, shook her head and looked down.

“What’s funny Ali? What did you remember?”

“I was so angry with her because she didn’t let me know she was ok. She made me suffer through an entire day not knowing if she was dead or alive. And she knew that was the one thing that I couldn’t bear. We’d talked about our brothers and we always agreed that the not knowing was the absolute worst.” She paused and met Mattie’s eyes. The therapist was patiently waiting for her to answer her question but Ali was embarrassed. “We hugged and I told her I wasn’t going to leave her. Then we took a shower and ended up having sex, totally not planned by either of us” Ali explained a little defensively. “And then we talked.”

“When did you get angry?”

“I told her I was angry with her...”

“But when did you get angry with her? Did you yell or throw something or express your anger with her at all?”

“No.”

They spent the next half hour going through Ali’s relationships with Kyle and her parents and Sydney trying to find a time when she had actually gotten angry with any of them. They found a few examples but Ali had started to believe the therapist was on to something. The problem got worse when it was with her partner or girlfriend. That’s when Ali really failed to express her anger.

“So, because I never had a hissy-fit with Emily I can’t get her or the break-up out of my head?” Ali clarified.

“That’s one way to say it” Mattie chuckled again. “But yes. It may seem simple to say that you have to let your anger out, but I believe if you allow those strong emotions to fester inside you then you will feel them somewhere else or they will impact you some other way.”

“Like being irrationally afraid of moving in with the love of my life” Ali added.

“Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but exactly.”

They talked some more and Mattie was careful to explain that part of the reason this realization was possible was because of the changes Ali had gone through. The Ali from 2011 was a vastly different person than the current Ali. Mattie wanted to be sure that Ali didn’t beat herself up for not figuring this out earlier. She also didn’t want to malign the other therapist. He may have come to the same conclusion had he been working with the current Ali. Mattie also talked about why Ali didn’t express her anger. Was she afraid Ashlyn would leave her? 

“No, I just don’t think being angry and yelling will help anything. That’s all” the brunette tried to explain.

“But you already are angry Ali. What you do with that anger is what we need to work on going forward. And you’re right, yelling about whatever made you angry won’t fix it and might be counterproductive. But keeping it all in is not a healthy alternative.”

“So you’re saying I’m too nice in those situations and it ends up hurting me in the long run?”

“The high road is a beautiful but lonely place. Visit as often as you can but don’t live there.” Mattie winked at the brunette before giving her some homework to do before their next appointment.

//

“Whatcha doing sweetie?” Ashlyn asked as she poked her head into the front parlor from the dining room.

It was the evening before Ali’s eighth appointment with Mattie, the week after Thanksgiving, and the brunette was curled up in the bay window seat with pen and paper in hand.

“Mattie gave me homework for tomorrow. I haven’t done it yet” Ali answered with a shrug.

“Oh, the letter” Ashlyn nodded knowingly. “Well I’ll leave you to it. Do you want me to bring you a glass of wine?”

“That’d be great babe, thank you” the brunette smiled as she watched her keeper turn on her heel and head back to the kitchen.

Ali had gone home and told Ashlyn everything about her appointment with Mattie and the breakthrough they thought they had made. The blonde had taken it all in and asked some questions and then spent a couple of days thinking about it. When she and Ali talked about it again the keeper had agreed with Mattie’s explanation. Ashlyn had been as supportive as possible and encouraged her girlfriend to keep pushing towards her resolution.

“Any advice for me?” Ali asked hopefully as the blonde handed her the glass of wine.

“Have you ever journaled?” Ashlyn asked.

“Not really.”

“Well, some people do a stream of consciousness thing. Just let your mind go and try and write it down. No editing, no being careful, no worrying about what anybody else thinks because nobody else will ever see it. It’s just for you.”

“How’s that going to help me write this letter to Emily? I’m supposed to write down everything that made me angry during and after our relationship.”

“No, I just mean don’t edit yourself, at least not at first. Just write down whatever pops into your head. You can always edit it later. Sometimes it’s a great way to get started. The first thing that pops into my head are all those things you loved being able do to in public with Sarah last year. I’ve been pissed off at Emily for that since the minute you told me and it didn’t even happen to me.” The blonde leaned down for a kiss and then held her palm out as she stood back up.

“Oooh, thank you!” Ali exclaimed as she plucked the dark chocolate with sea salt and caramel Lindt ball out of Ashlyn’s hand.

“You can have another one when you’re done” the keeper winked and walked towards the living room.

//

Monday morning Ali got out of bed quietly and took a quick shower. She got dressed for the cold, went into the guest bathroom, blew her hair dry and put on her mascara. ‘You can do this Krieger’ she said to her reflection in the mirror. She had conquered the unresolved anger issue with Emily. She had hard data to support the fact that she loved living with the blonde and that their relationship had only grown and gotten stronger and deeper since she moved in. She loved her keeper and she was going to marry her. She didn’t want to wait another minute.

Ali went back into the bedroom and laid out the clothes she wanted Ashlyn to wear once she woke her up. It wasn’t a fashion decision, she just wanted to make sure the blonde was dressed warmly enough. It was 6am and she had 15 minutes before she needed to rouse the sleeping beauty. She snapped a quick picture of her love as she slept in their bed and then went down the backstairs to get the coffee ready. Ali was excited and she had butterflies in her stomach. She went into the mudroom and made sure their coats, hats, scarves, mittens and boots were ready to be put on and then she went back upstairs to get her girl.

“I still don’t get why you put mascara on to watch the sunrise, princess...” she giggled when she heard the answer to her own question in the nickname. “Never mind, I got it.”

They were on top of the big rock down at Good Harbor Beach, sitting like they had before, Ali between the keeper’s legs. Ashlyn held her close, wrapping her arms around her from behind. It was 6:45am on December 12th. It was dark and cold, barely 30 degrees, and that didn’t take into account the wind coming off the ocean and hitting them in the face. The brunette had brought two of those heated stadium seat buttwarmer cushions and they were each sitting on one, glad to have it between them and the ice cold rock they sat on. She put hand warmers in their pockets and brought two big thermal travel cups of coffee for them to drink as well. It was cold and they were both starting to shiver. Sunrise was supposed to be at 7:04am and it could not get there fast enough.

“I told you, I want to take a picture with you this time. We didn’t do it before.” She gave the blonde a soft kiss. “Thank you for brushing your hair.”

“Not that you can see it under my winter hat” the keeper griped half-heartedly. “Now, I know this might sound crazy coming from a Florida girl and everything, but sunrise in September is a lot warmer than sunrise in December.”

“God, did I complain this much when you woke me up and brought me down here to watch the sunrise with you?” Ali teased.

“No. You didn’t complain at all” Ashlyn hugged her girlfriend tighter. “You’re wonderful and I love you so much Ali.”

They sat quietly as the dark sky started to fill with beautiful colors. They watched the horizon as the dark reds and deep oranges and thick yellows spread across the ocean in front of them. They were thin sections of color at first, stacked like different colored plates in a cupboard. As the sun slowly rose the sections expanded and became pale yellows and sunny oranges and dusty pinks. It was a glorious way to start the day, freezing, but breathtaking.

When the sun was all the way up, Ali nervously felt for the ring box in her pocket. She turned sideways and kissed her girlfriend’s icy lips. They both grinned.

“Ok, I want a picture of you against that background” Ali said, pointing at the ocean and brand new sky as she took her warm mittens off. “With your back to me, like you just watched the sun come up.”

“What a concept” the blonde teased with a wink.

Ashlyn did as instructed and stood at the front edge of the big rock, facing the ocean with her back to the brunette. Ali took a couple of quick pictures and then pulled the ring box out of her pocket and opened the lid.

“Did you get it?” the keeper asked over her shoulder.

“Hold still, just one more minute babe.”

Ali made sure the ring was where it should be and turned the ring box around so it would face the blonde once she turned around. She got on one knee and swallowed hard.

“Ok, you can turn around now.”

Ashlyn turned around with a small smile on her face, cheeks bright pink from the cold. She had a winter jacket on, zipped up around the scarf that wrapped her neck and covered the lower part of her face, and a winter hat and mittens. Her long hair was down and it blew towards Ali and to the right. She looked beautiful and the brunette held her breath.

“What...” the keeper cocked her head to the side as she took a step towards Ali. 

“Ashlyn Michelle Harris, I love you. I never knew a love like ours could be real until you came into my life and showed me. My world was dark and you filled it up with all of your vibrant, vivid colors, like the sunrise we just watched light up this sky. You have the biggest heart I’ve ever known and I know how lucky I am to have a place in it. You mean everything to me Ash and I want us to have one long, never-ending three-legged race. I don’t even care if we win, as long as we’re together that’s all I’ll ever need.” Ali paused to stifle a swell of emotion. “Will you marry me?”

“Oh my God, Ali, yes. Yes. Yes! Of course I’ll marry you. Oh my God.” 

Ashlyn’s voice started out small and shaky but gained both volume and excitement with every word. She had tears streaming down her face and a smile so big her dimple was almost swallowed up. The keeper stepped to Ali and lifted her up so they could hug. The brunette was crying too and her face had the same enormous smile covering it. She pulled back after a quick kiss and took the ring out of the box. Ashlyn pulled her mitten off of her left hand and let the brunette slide the engagement ring onto her ring finger. It was a beautiful white gold band, a little thicker than the usual engagement diamond ring would be, and it had five small diamonds set low and close together in a row, barely wider than the band. It was simple, elegant, and perfect for the keeper. 

“I love you Ashlyn” Ali breathed out and brought their lips together in a passionate kiss. “Thank you for saying yes honey” she panted out after the kiss.

“Thank you for asking me baby. I can’t believe this...I’m so shocked and happy.” She kissed Ali again. “You just made me the happiest woman in the world.”

They stood there for a few more minutes, holding each other tightly and grinning at each other. Then they took a few selfies with the sunrise behind them and Ashlyn’s hand in front of them. And then they went home because they were absolutely freezing.

When they got back to the big old house and got warmed up in front of the fire in the family room, Ashlyn kissed her fiancée one more time before jogging up the backstairs. Ali took advantage of the moment to send a group text to her parents, Kyle and Sydney to let them know the good news. She included one of the pictures they had just taken on the big rock.

“So I don’t know how to do this part. You stole my thunder, but I’ve never been happier in my life” the keeper chuckled as she sat on the arm of the comfortable armchair in front of the fire that Ali was sitting in. 

The brunette looked up, confused, and smiled as Ashlyn leaned down to kiss her again.

“I know the grand gestures are sort of your thing” Ali giggled. “Sorry if I messed you up. But I just couldn’t wait any more. I’m tired of waiting. We both know what we want and there’s no reason not to just do it. I want to be your wife.”

“I completely agree” Ashlyn grinned. “I feel the same way and, for the record, the only reason I haven’t popped the question is because I wanted to be sure you were good with everything. I didn’t want another office moment.” The blonde chuckled and kissed Ali again, making sure she knew there were no hidden hurt feelings lingering from the summer.

“Wait, so...” Ali started but stopped talking as she watched the keeper get down on one knee in front of her and hold out a box with a beautiful engagement ring in it. Ashlyn had a big grin on her face and a little bit of a smirk.

“Alexandra Blaire Krieger, stealer of my thunder, light of my life, answer to all of my prayers. I don’t really have a speech prepared because every time I’ve started thinking about what I would say to you when I asked you to spend the rest of your life with me my brain just explodes with everything you mean to me. I have no idea how you did what you did on the big rock but I know I couldn’t have done it half as well. As you can see.” Ashlyn looked down bashfully as she wished she had put some more thought into the proposal. She had been so excited to give Ali her ring that she didn’t really think about the words. “I love you and I want to love you the way you deserve to be loved until I draw my last breath. Will you marry me too?”

“Yes” Ali replied softly, incredibly moved by the blonde’s impromptu proposal. “Nothing could make me happier Ashlyn.”

She leaned over and kissed the blonde and then hugged her tight again. She gasped as Ashlyn slid the gorgeous diamond ring onto her finger.

“Oh Ash, it’s gorgeous.”

“Do you like it? I had a hard time not getting you the princess cut, for obvious reasons, but once I saw this one I couldn’t get it out of my head. It’s a lotus flower diamond. That outer ring of diamonds is supposed to be the leaves of the lotus blossom.”

It was a round diamond, 2-carat, set with smaller diamonds surrounding it. Ashlyn had chosen white gold for the band too. It was the only thing they had really ever discussed. They ultimately wanted to try and get wedding bands that matched each other. But they were both trying to figure out what to do for engagement rings too. Ali was prepared to do something more artistic and different if Ashlyn had wanted to, but the keeper had said she had seven other fingers that she could do something different with if she wanted. 

“I love it. It’s just beautiful. It’s perfect.” Ali held her hand out and admired the beautiful ring as she tried not to cry. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

“Dance with me?” Ashlyn stood and held out her hand.

Ali took her hand and let the keeper lead her to the small amount of open floor space not taken up by the tree. Christmas music was playing instead of something romantic, but they didn’t care. They danced to it and sang along with it and held each other close. There were soft kisses and tender touches and huge grins as they moved around the family room, surrounded by Christmas decorations and holiday spirit. It was barely 9am and it was already the best day of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, let me know what you think. Our girls are on the same page about things so often that this seemed appropriate.  
> I fought the urge to have Ashlyn propose because Ali was so excited and relieved to put the Emily thing behind her once and for all that I couldn't imagine anything stopping the brunette from proposing as quickly as possible. She is DONE waiting. She doesn't even want to wait for the damned wedding! But that's a story for another chapter.  
> Thanks, as always, for reading. And let me know if this rang true for you or not.


	45. Two Weeks of Bliss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two chapters left after this one. But I've started the third installment already. Do you want me to put up the first chapter of that when this one's done so you can bookmark it? Or just wait until I'm ready to start posting the whole thing (which won't be for a while)? Let me know.  
> Oh and there's a smidgen of smut in this chapter, just enough to make you want more and I'm sorry about that.   
> Thanks for reading!

The next two weeks were some of the happiest times either woman could have possibly imagined. They both walked around on cloud nine and nothing could bring their moods down. They were bulletproof and they knew it wouldn’t last so they enjoyed it while it did. They did every Christmas thing they could think of and loved every minute of it. They went skating on Frog Pond down on the Boston Common with Sydney and Dom. Ashlyn had never skated before but she let the brunette guide her around the ice anyway.

“It’s just like roller skating...” Ali had started to say.

“But completely different” Ashlyn had finished for her and laughed.

Once the blonde had learned to use the blades to her advantage she was able to start skating. Actually bearing down on them and using her weight and her strong legs were big difference makers. Her balance and coordination were already great, she just had to get used to the blades and the ice. Dom took a video of one of Ashlyn’s better laps around the pond and the keeper posted it on social media, tagging Hilary Knight and teasing the hockey star about coming to take her spot on the team. She gave Dom the photo credit and tagged Ali and Sydney because they were also skating on either side of the blonde. After they finished skating the two couples walked around Boston Common and the Public Garden arm in arm. Everything was decorated and lit up with Christmas lights and it appeared magical.

//

With the brunette’s help, Ashlyn got her Christmas shopping finished earlier than ever before. They wrapped all of their presents for their Florida families and brought them to the UPS store to be shipped to Satellite Beach and Miami. Each time they went out somewhere, whether it was shopping or skating or any of their other excursions, one of them bought an ornament for their tree. It had started organically when Ali spotted an ornament of a hammerhead shark. But the couple realized that it was a fun and romantic way to document their special time. Their very first Christmas together and their very first tree. Ashlyn found the famous Leg Lamp from ‘The Christmas Story’ movie and an angel whose face looked remarkably like the brunette’s. They bought a skate and a surfboard and a soccer ball and kept going from there. They found a house shaped picture frame ornament and put a picture of their two faces, cheeks smushed together and big grins on their faces, in it. On the back it said ‘First House-First Christmas’. Those ornaments would get hung on their tree and remembered each and every year like a perpetual scrapbook.

“It really feels like we’re starting our life together now, doesn’t it” Ali wondered aloud as she hung the latest ornament addition on a branch.

“It’s because we are” Ashlyn answered earnestly, getting choked up a bit.

//

They visited the Gardner Museum that week as well. It was fun to see it all decorated and filled with Christmas things. The staff had set up Isabella’s dining table with her actual antique china that she would use during the Holidays back in her day. Ali had only seen that once before so it was pretty special that it was on display that year for them. The courtyard was beautiful as ever but the heavy, greenhouse scent was different. All of the pine and vanilla from Christmas wreaths and garlands gave it a unique aroma that felt familiar and new at the same time. Ashlyn took her time on that visit and explored many of the new smaller things that the museum had out for the holidays. There were letters and notes with holiday greetings written to and by the Gardners and their famous friends. As soon as the blonde wondered whether or not Isabella had decorated a tree in the mansion they turned a corner and there was an old photograph that showed her and her beloved dogs putting decorations on a tree. The couple left the museum late that afternoon as they always did, energized and simultaneously soothed. They bought more than one ornament in the gift shop on their way out.

“Thank you Isabella” Ali whispered.

//

Molly recommended a great place up in Maine, near Portland, where the newly engaged couple rented a small cabin with all the amenities. It was just under a three hour drive and the hotel, which rented out the handful of small cabins, was just a few miles away from Lake Sebago. Ali and Ashlyn drove up early on Friday and stayed for two nights, returning home Sunday the week of Christmas. Molly and Niki drove up later Friday, after work, and stayed in their own cabin for two nights. Ashlyn had never done much in terms of the snow sports. During her brief time in Germany she had snow-shoed and tobogganed and enjoyed both very much. And in her even briefer time in Sweden she had tried snowboarding and almost broken her neck. On Friday the couple went snow-shoeing and tobogganing and then Niki and Molly joined them for skating under the lights on a small pond. The keeper was proud to show off her improvement on the blades and even tried a cross-over stroke as she went around one of the corners. Ali held her breath as Ashlyn fell and slid into the side of the make-shift rink, ending up on the snowy bank of the pond.

“Well it wouldn’t be fair if I was awesome at everything, would it?” she joked as she picked herself up and grinned as her fiancée skated over to help her.

“It wouldn’t be half as funny either” Niki teased.

On Saturday they rode snowmobiles North to a remote part of the hotel complex and ate lunch and hot-tubbed outdoors in the woods before riding back for dinner at the main section of the hotel. They paired up and took turns driving and riding the snow machines and Ashlyn took special pleasure paying the brunette back for her ruthless teasing on the jet ski down in Miami earlier that summer. Ali had a lot more clothes on this time so it was much more challenging to get at any of her sensitive spots to tease her. But there was nobody around except for Niki and Molly thirty feet away, so the blonde didn’t have to be as discreet. Ashlyn had to settle for getting her bare hand inside Ali’s half-zipped ski jacket and working her breast and nipple up. She lost her ski mitten in the process but joked to Ali that it was worth the cost of the new pair she had to buy before the ride back later that afternoon. 

After their nice dinner in the hotel dining room they went on a candlelight hike along a snowy trail in the woods. They had all had a few drinks with dinner and were happily tipsy. The hotel offered spiked hot chocolate or hot cider in travel thermos’ for the hike if you wanted help keeping warm. It was one of the most beautiful and romantic things any of them had ever seen. They were in the woods on a well-traveled path and there were lanterns with candles lit inside of them stationed all along both sides of the snow-covered path. The two couples spread out during the hike so they could each have more privacy and enjoy the romance of the night. All they could hear was the snow crunching underneath their feet and the creaking of the pines as they swayed in the soft wind. It was truly idyllic.

“Well now I know what I want to do with the extra lot next to our house” Ashlyn joked Sunday morning as they all met for breakfast. 

“If you light a path with candles people are going to come and walk up that path” Molly said and quirked her eyebrow. “Be careful what you wish for.” 

After breakfast they went skiing and snowboarding. Ali and Niki went skiing and Molly eagerly tried to coach Ashlyn back onto the snowboard. Molly was a great skier and snowboarder, easily the best among them, and she was a patient teacher. It wasn’t long before the keeper was up on the board and making some decisive cuts and moves on the bunny slope. She should have been a natural with her surfing experience but her scary fall in Sweden had her spooked. Molly suspected that the language barrier must have somehow contributed to the fall. She couldn’t see Ashlyn taking such a major spill if she had just been using her own instincts and coordination. By lunch time the blonde had conquered one of the easy trails and was very proud of herself. They had time for a few more runs after lunch before they would have to check out and start the drive home. Ashlyn released Molly so she could go have fun on some expert black diamond trails with Niki. Ali kept her fiancée company, on her skis, down the easy trail and marveled at her progress.

“You’re doing great Ash! I thought you’d be a natural.”

“Why don’t you snowboard” Ashlyn asked as they took the lift up to the top again.

“I caught an edge once when I was just learning and smashed my face hard into the ice. Broke my nose and almost knocked out my teeth, but I was lucky and got to keep them” she grinned. “I do better on skis.”

By the time they got home that night they were more exhausted than they could ever remember being. 

“Your mom was right” Ashlyn said as they dropped their luggage in the mudroom. “We need to evaluate the way we rest and relax.”

//

But they knew what they were doing. They pushed their bodies during their weekend away, even finding the energy to have sex Saturday night after the romantic candlelit hike as well, knowing that they were going to have two days in their bubble when they returned home. Ali had been working during their special two week celebration but she usually only had to work in the mornings and make some phone calls in the afternoons. If she was efficient in the morning she had more time in the afternoon. She took the week between Christmas and New Year’s off completely as vacation. And she had two vacation days left to use so she used them on those Monday and Tuesday bubble days. It was a beautiful plan and as much as she would have liked to take credit for it, luck had definitely been involved.

“How long have you had the ring?” Ashlyn asked late Monday morning as they lounged on the small mattress in front of the guest bedroom fireplace.

Ali stretched and turned her attention to her fiancée’s side tattoo. She ran her fingers over every beautiful inch of the ink, studying it for what must have been the hundredth time.

“I picked it up right after Thanksgiving” she answered, not taking her eyes off of the beautiful orange flower petal she was tracing. “I almost proposed to you at least twice a day ever since.”

“Did you almost propose when we were getting the tree?” the keeper asked with a big, dimple-bearing grin on her face.

The brunette stilled her hand and lay her forehead down against Ashlyn’s stomach, embarrassed.

“Yes!” she giggled against firm abdominal muscles that tensed as the blonde laughed with her. “How did you know?” the brunette asked without looking up.

“I don’t know, you just looked at me funny, like, really serious but insanely adorable too. Right after we put the tree in the back of your truck and we were standing there at the tailgate.” Ashlyn reached down and lifted Ali’s head up so she could see her pretty face. “I’d never seen you look quite like that before. I chalked it up to you being really really excited about buying our first Christmas tree.”

Ali leaned her head against the blonde’s hand that was cupping her face. She turned her face and kissed Ashlyn’s palm tenderly.

“I finally had to stop carrying it around with me so I couldn’t just blurt out some half-baked, lame proposal” she chuckled and took the keeper’s hand, turning it over so she could kiss the knuckles and back of it. “It was a real struggle for me. But the very best kind.”

Ashlyn pulled her up onto her chest and kissed her deeply. It was one of those slow, sultry kisses that made your toes tingle.

“I would have said yes and hugged you around the tree and the tailgate, for the record.” The keeper beamed as she spoke.

//

“I can’t believe we almost missed this one. Perfectly good love seat, never been fucked on.” Ashlyn shook her head slowly but there was a big smirk on her face.

They were curled up together in the love seat in the front parlor, Ali between Ashlyn’s legs leaning her back against the keeper’s front. They were facing the fireplace end of the room, with the big ‘El Jaleo’ painting across from them on the wall next to Grandma Lilian’s piano. It was one of the brunette’s very favorite spots to sit in the entire house. They had done a lot more than sit there though and Ali was sure she’d never sit there again without thinking about it.

“This room has seen more action this month than it probably will for the next two years” Ali chuckled.

“That sounds like a challenge to me!” Ashlyn teased and tickled the brunette’s sides and held her as she squirmed.

“Oh God” Ali breathed out after a few minutes of tickling. “You and your challenges. Can we please finish at least one before you make a new one?” 

“Fine. But we’re close on the fireplace challenge. Thanks to you we crossed this room off of that list” Ashlyn nibbled on the brunette’s earlobe and then kissed her neck with a grin. “We took care of the guest bedroom fireplace this morning. That means all we have left are the dining room and the kitchen. We can knock those out this week for sure.”

“Not if you keep talking about it like that” Ali quirked an eyebrow and sent a warning look back to her fiancée. 

“You know I don’t mean it like that” Ashlyn cooed into Ali’s ear, kissing her tenderly on the cheek. “I just know how much you like crossing things off of lists. I swear sometimes I think you make a list just so you can drag your pen across it” she chuckled and trailed kisses along the top of the brunette’s shoulder towards her arm.

“I totally do that” Ali giggled and leaned her head back so Ashlyn could return her lips to her neck and throat. 

“And the furniture challenge would have been complete after this love seat, because we christened your new office sofa last week.” Ashlyn paused to remember how bossy Ali had been that afternoon in her office. “Damn that was hot.”

“What do you mean ‘would have been complete’? I thought that one was done now, after this love seat.” Ali pinched her girl’s thigh playfully. “Are you making up rules as we go along? What the hell?” she chuckled.

“Well, we would have been done but now we have all the new furniture in the studio...”

“Like what? We’ve already done it on the couch, more than once” Ali challenged as she caressed the spot on Ashlyn’s thigh she had just pinched.

“The new work table, and the desk” the keeper calmly added. “And that work table has wheels, that’ll be fun” she enthused, wagging her eyebrows.

Ali just sighed and laughed with her adorable keeper. There was no point arguing. They were quiet for several minutes, just enjoying the way their bodies felt against each other and the way their heartbeats sounded in their chests.

“So how long have you had my ring?” the brunette asked, holding up her own hand in front of them so they could both admire the beautiful engagement ring. “Probably something really romantic like the 4th of July because that’s when I knew I loved you last year and you’re so sweet and amazing that you remembered that.” She looked back at the blonde’s shy face and smiled. “Oh my God, I’m right! Aren’t I?”

“No, princess, nothing like that” Ashlyn said softly, squeezing the beautiful brunette and holding her tight for a minute. “I did get it in July, but later.” She paused, unsure of how much to say. “I wanted to propose to you at your birthday party. Instead of just asking you to move in, I wanted to propose.”

“Oh Ash...”

“I knew it was too soon and that’s why I didn’t do it.” She pulled Ali’s left hand to her lips and kissed her fingers. “Even in my self-created chaos, somewhere in there, I knew it wasn’t the right time. I’m so glad I waited. That would have been awful.”

“I would have said yes” Ali replied in a small voice.

“I know you would have, at least I was pretty sure you would have, but you would have done it just so you didn’t hurt me. You still wouldn’t have been ready.” The blonde kissed Ali’s other hand and closed her eyes. “That’s why it would have been awful. You would have suffered so I didn’t have to and when we finally talked about it, because I’m sure we would have, I would have felt just terrible. I think now is the perfect time. I’ve never been happier Al. Not ever.”

//

They spent several hours in the family room, stretched out on the couch watching ‘Orphan Black’. The rest of the afternoon and evening with a break for dinner, to be exact. The living room couch was more comfortable for the two of them and they liked to share the corner of the ‘L’ bend there, side by side, but the family room was their favorite room those days. It was Christmas central for the house and it felt extra romantic because of their new relationship status. They had both experienced a little bit of déjà vu back to the afternoon they finally revealed their true feelings. Hands moved slowly across bare skin, with no purpose except to feel the warmth of the woman they loved. One of them would lean their face up or down and they would kiss slowly for a few minutes and then go back to watching the show. Ashlyn rubbed the brunette’s shoulders and back for a change and Ali braided the long blonde hair. They were so relaxed and comfortable that when they finally went up the backstairs late Monday night they fell into bed and went right to sleep.

//

Tuesday was just as lazy and they loved it. They took a nice long bath in Whitney’s bathroom, the one that was shared between Meg’s room and Whitney’s room.

“I still don’t think this is right” Ali challenged as they soaked, this time with Ashlyn leaning back against the brunette.

“It’s our bathroom. We’re just lending it to Whit these days. Besides, I like this bathroom and I haven’t used it in almost a year” Ashlyn argued, trying to justify her insistence that they soak in that particular tub. “We’re not touching any of her stuff.”

It was quiet and peaceful for several minutes as they gently touched each other’s legs and arms in the warm, fragrant water.

“I’m sorry we have to go to my dad’s for Christmas, I mean, if you didn’t want to do that I’m sorry you have to now.”

“I love spending time like this with you Al, just the two of us. It’s my favorite, obviously. But Christmas is for family and friends and sharing the holiday spirit. At least that’s what I think it’s about anyway.” The keeper leaned her head back against Ali’s shoulder and sighed contentedly. “I didn’t want to stay here with you for Christmas and be shut-ins. I’m glad we have family up here to spend the day with.”

“Really? You’re not just saying that?”

“Really honey. I’m looking forward to seeing Uncle Scott again. Kyle and I have a bet going to see how long it takes him to get my name right. This extra holiday increases my odds tremendously” she laughed and squeezed both of Ali’s knees with her hands.

“Oh you’re such a brat” the brunette reached up and playfully pinched one of the keeper’s nipples as they both laughed.

//

It was late-afternoon and they were in the middle of having sex in front of the fireplace in the kitchen. They had pushed the small table and chairs over towards the exterior wall and placed the camping mattress on the tile floor. The fire in the double-sided fireplace was big and warm. Ashlyn had built it up so it would last all evening and they could enjoy it from the family room too when they were finished in the kitchen. It was just starting to get dark outside and the couple had been careful to pull the shades down in the two windows as well as the half-glass door that was right next to them on the driveway side wall. They also were going to wait to turn on the candles in the windows until they were finished. They weren’t really worried, but Ali was not interested in putting a show on for anybody but her keeper. She always pulled the blinds or closed the curtains as soon as it got dark or if they were enjoying some naked time together.

“Oh, yeah, babe...” the brunette moaned out as she rode Ashlyn’s face, hands on her own breasts and eyes half-closed.

The keeper was lying on her back in front of the fire with her hands on her favorite ass. Her face was buried in Ali’s pussy and covered with her juices as she worked her tongue around the inside of the brunette’s satin walls. 

There was a knock on the side door in the mudroom and the surprising sound caused Ali to drop down instantly. She lifted herself up on her knees a little bit so Ashlyn could breathe.

“Who the fuck is that?” the blonde wondered out loud? The mailman had already been by and he delivered to the mailbox down at the street anyway. They certainly weren’t expecting anybody. “I’m sure it’s just FedEx or UPS delivering a package. They’re probably already gone” she reassured her jumpy fiancée with a gentle pat on her butt and squeeze of her thigh. She tilted her chin up and licked Ali’s clit softly. “Seriously, he’s already gone. Get back up here gorgeous, I want more.”

Ali’s heart rate had come down a little bit from the shock of the loud knocking and she sat back up, still horny as hell. She had just started to grind against Ashlyn’s chin when there was another loud knock. This time it was at the side door of the kitchen. Someone was standing four feet away from them and was getting an unbelievable view if they could see around the edges of the blinds at all.

“Shit!” Ali whisper yelled as she dropped down again.

Ashlyn instinctively rolled them over on their sides so her back was to the door, protecting and shielding the brunette from view. They were afraid to move. If they lay very still maybe whoever was on the other side of the glass would just go away. If they moved and tried to run up the backstairs they would be much more visible. They hoped the big fire wasn’t illuminating too much of them or casting too many risqué shadows on the other side of the blinds.

“Just be still and they’ll go away” the keeper whispered and then giggled a little bit.

“It’s not funny” Ali whispered back before giggling some herself. She kissed the keeper and tasted herself on her lips. The brunette let out a quiet moan. “God, you have so much of me all over your face babe.”

“That’s just the way I like it” Ashlyn whispered and wagged her eyebrows. She reached down between them and ran her fingers through Ali’s wet folds making the brunette moan again.

“Ash, wait. Please.”

“I’ll try but this is pretty hot” the blonde smirked back.

“Ok,” Ali said, watching the glass door over the keeper’s shoulder, “whoever it was just moved back towards the mudroom.”

“Good” Ashlyn said and thrust her fingers inside her fiancée’s wanting core roughly.

“Oh Jesus” the brunette groaned. “Should we go upstairs?” she panted out.

“Fuck no. I’m gonna make you come like crazy right here on the kitchen floor.”

An hour later as Ali turned the candles on and lit the tree, Ashlyn wrapped the sheet around herself, put on her jacket and opened the mudroom door. There was a tall gift bag with a bottle of wine in it sitting on the welcome mat outside the door. The note was from their next door neighbors wishing them happy holidays. They would always wonder just how much the Donaldsons had seen.

//

Several hours later they were back on the couch in the family room trying to savor the last bit of their time in the bubble. Ali lay with her torso across the keeper’s lap, on her side, with her head on the arm of the couch. They had decided to put in a Hitchcock movie because they hadn’t watched one since Thanksgiving with Nico and Kyle. As they watched ‘The Paradine Case’ with Gregory Peck as a British lawyer and Alida Valli as his beautiful Italian client accused of poisoning her husband, Ashlyn wanted more contact with the brunette’s skin. Ali’s head on her lap was just not enough. It took them a few minutes and a couple of pillows but the keeper was finally satisfied and spent the whole movie rubbing and caressing her fiancée’s left side, leg, hip, shoulder and arm. She loved the weight of the brunette on top of her lap. When the movie ended two hours later and the touches had grown less than innocent they made love again, in the dim light from the fire that was almost out, the candles in the windows and the twinkling Christmas tree. It was a beautiful way to close out their bubble time.

//

Wednesday afternoon they finished the baking for the neighbors. Because she wasn’t sure which neighbors celebrated what holidays and practiced which religions Ali decided to keep it simple. She chose to make loaves of gingerbread instead of spending the time on the different Italian cookies that she usually made. Ashlyn had suggested bottles of champagne so they could use them for new year’s if they didn’t celebrate Christmas. It was a great idea but they were worried about giving a bottle to an alcoholic so they nixed it. The keeper wrote out little holiday cards that they would put in each gift bag with the gingerbread loaf. Each card said: “Happy Holidays from Ashlyn & Ali (#6); Looking forwarding to meeting you in the New Year”. 

Ashlyn knew a couple of the neighbors, like old Mrs. Ornstein who lived right across the street, and the Donaldsons right next door. But other than those two, the blonde would be just as new as Ali when it came time for introductions. They spent an hour and delivered the gift bags to their neighbors, walking up and down their street. They met two new neighbors, the Riveras and the Barrys, and left their gift bags for the other six to find when they got home later that day.

//

Deb and Ali used to go to The Nutcracker every year. It was their tradition, at least it had started that way. One year, when he was in high school, Kyle finally told them both how jealous he was that he never got to go. From then on the three of them went. Once Deb moved to Miami and Kyle moved to NYC Ali stopped going. Instead, she made sure she played the entire 2-CD version of The Nutcracker at some point during the build-up to Christmas. It brought her a lot of joy even just listening to the beautiful music. One night, earlier in December, an ad for The Nutcracker had come on tv and Ashlyn asked the brunette, innocently, if she had ever been. Ali told her the story and the next day the keeper bought tickets and made reservations for a fancy dinner before the show. Thursday morning the keeper wouldn’t tell the brunette where they were going that evening, just that she had to get dressed up. Three days before Christmas, after enjoying a wonderful meal at one of the best restaurants in Boston, Ashlyn opened the passenger side door of her new Suburu BRZ sports coupe and helped Ali out onto the sidewalk in front of the Boston Opera House.

“Oh Ashlyn!” the brunette exclaimed as she took her keeper’s arm. “I love that we’re here. Thank you so much honey.”

“Anything for my princess” the blonde smiled and winked at her fiancée as they climbed the steps to the entrance. 

Ashlyn wasn’t a big fan of ballet, although she hadn’t really given it much of a chance up to that point. She didn’t consider herself a big fan of classical music either, but after listening to a lot of it as she recovered from her concussion, that had changed. Even if she had hated both she still would take Ali to The Nutcracker every year for the rest of her life just so she could watch the woman she loved. The brunette sat there, in her elegant dress with her hair up and her make-up just right, and beamed at the stage like a kid in a candy store. The keeper spent more time gazing at Ali than she did watching the stage. But what made her really emotional was the thought of continuing the tradition and bringing their own children to The Nutcracker year after year.

As they drove home that night, holding hands once the blonde was finished shifting the manual transmission into fifth gear on the highway, they both had enormous smiles on their faces. They were quiet for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Neither of them moved to turn any music on either. It was as if they both wanted to keep the incredible music they had just heard inside the Opera House in the car with them for the ride. Finally, about half-way home, Ashlyn spoke and her soft, high voice seemed loud in the quiet.

“Can I tell you something?” she adjusted her voice and softened it even more when she heard how loud it sounded in the stillness.

“Anything” Ali replied quietly and looked at her love, still smiling broadly.

“You know how I told you I can sometimes picture our kids?” she started, tentatively, realizing how silly those words would sound to anybody else on the planet.

“Yeah.” Ali leaned over and lifted Ashlyn’s hand up to her lips and kissed it tenderly.

“I pictured them tonight. At The Nutcracker with us” the keeper admitted shyly and blushed.

“Oh Ash” the brunette gasped softly and fought to control her emotions. She kissed the blonde’s hand again and held it against the side of her cheek. “I did too.”


	46. Christmas Eve with the Kriegers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this one.
> 
> Smut warning.

Christmas Eve morning dawned and was one of the grossest weather days the area had seen in a while. It had been very cold and windy during the week, but that Saturday was in the 50s and rainy. Typical crazy New England weather. That old saying ‘if you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a day’ couldn’t have been more accurate. Christmas Eve was the kind of day you just wanted to cozy up in front of a fire with a good book or a good movie.

“Did you say we were going to church tonight?” Ashlyn asked, not sure she had heard the brunette correctly.

They were getting dressed to go over to Ken’s house for the afternoon and early evening and the keeper had been surprised to see Ali stepping into a dark skirt.

“Yeah, did I not tell you that before?” Ali removed a brightly colored holiday blouse from a hanger in her closet and turned to face her fiancée.

“Umm no, you didn’t.”

“I’m sorry honey. I must have forgotten.” The brunette walked to the keeper as she adjusted the blouse. “I guess I forgot about it myself. I haven’t done Christmas up here in so long.” She put both hands on Ashlyn’s chest, above her breasts, and patted lightly as she leaned up to give her a quick kiss on the lips. “It’s not a big deal.” She smoothed the fabric of the dress shirt beneath her hands and enjoyed the feel of Ashlyn’s warm skin underneath. “Is it?”

“No, I guess not” the blonde groused as she finished buttoning up her shirt, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder when she was done. “I can dress my outfit up a little. What kind of church is it?”

“Just a regular church babe. Don’t worry, there are no guitar playing ministers or people speaking in tongues” Ali giggled as she went to sit down at the dressing table.

“No, what kind of church? Like Catholic or Baptist...”

“Oh, good question” she giggled again. “Sorry. Vicki and the boys are Catholic and she takes them to Mass at 3pm, I think that’s the time. We’re Lutheran so we all go to the Christmas Eve service at 7pm.”

“Without Vicki?”

“Oh no, they come too.”

“That sucks for Tanner and Koty. Two church services.”

“I don’t know, maybe they do it differently now. They’re old enough that maybe Vicki lets them skip one. I honestly don’t know.” She continued putting her make-up on, leaning closer to the big, oval mirror attached to the dressing table. “I’m so glad we got this chair Ash. It’s so much more comfortable than the old one.”

The keeper shrugged into her dark charcoal blazer instead of reaching for the sweater she had planned to wear. She stood behind Ali at the dressing table so she could look in the mirror and tie her holiday ascot around her neck. It was deep red with subtle candy canes and wreaths patterned across it. She tugged on her open collar when she was done and made sure the ends of the ascot were tucked in. She noticed Ali staring at her in the mirror.

“See something you like, princess?” the blonde winked and then leaned down to plant a kiss on top of Ali’s head.

“Very much” the brunette answered, blushing slightly.

“Keep moving, we’re going to be late” Ashlyn urged as she reached for her jewelry box and completed her outfit with a watch, some rings and her diamond stud earrings.

The blonde stood in the mudroom, patiently waiting for Ali to join her so they could leave. She had pulled the Jeep up to the side entry door so the brunette could just step right in without getting rained on too much.

“Did you get the antipasti tray...” Ali asked quickly as she bent over and zipped up her knee high boots with the 2” heels, holding on to the keeper with one hand to help her balance.

“Already in the car” Ashlyn smiled as she admired her gorgeous girl. 

“And the breadsticks?”

“Both boxes” she answered, still smiling.

Ashlyn helped her fiancée into her black, knee-length trench coat and guided her out the door with her hand on the small of Ali’s back.

“Thank you so much babe, for everything. You’re the best” the brunette squeezed her hand as they stepped outside. “I thought you were going to take the Suburu tonight?” Ali inquired as the blonde opened the door of the jeep for her.

“Is it ok that we take the jeep?” she paused. “I just haven’t driven it in a while, and it’s Christmas” she offered shyly.  
“Of course” Ali smiled at her sweet and thoughtful keeper. She knew Ashlyn liked driving the sporty Suburu, even though she didn’t like to admit it. But the brunette thought it was adorable that she wanted to drive the jeep she loved on that special occasion. “You just have to give me your hand, this skirt’s a little too tight for that big of a step.”

“You look beautiful tonight baby” Ashlyn complimented as she helped the brunette into the jeep.

The gathering at Ken’s house was bigger than the keeper expected. In addition to the two Krieger families there were also many other neighbors and friends and colleagues that Ken and Vicki knew and worked with in attendance. They got there at 3pm and enjoyed an appetizer buffet that Vicki had set up throughout the kitchen. Ali felt a little bit guilty when she set the antipasti tray down on the counter where Vicki made room. Vicki wasn’t Italian, and neither was Ken. Deb was and Ali suddenly realized that she was bringing something that she had always loved to have at Christmas gatherings when they were growing up. It had been completely innocent. But it felt to her, for a few seconds, like she had just put a tray down with Deb’s face on it, smiling up at everyone. She glanced at Vicki, standing beside her repositioning platters and bowls, unsure what to say.

“I...I hope that’s alright Vicki. You said not to bring anything so I just brought the first thing I thought of for appetizers...”

“It looks delicious” Vicki replied kindly. “You’ll just have to point out the spicy cuts so I can be prepared” she quipped. “Really Ali, I’m so glad you’re here for Christmas. We all are. It’s such a treat.”

Ali could see the medium-level stress around her eyes as she dealt with a houseful of guests and tried to keep her eyes on her two teenage sons at the same time. But the brunette felt the honesty of the exchange between them. Her father’s second wife wasn’t one of those fake, noisy women that you had to try and decipher what they really meant when they spoke to you. That had always been Ali’s favorite thing about Vicki. She might not say as much as you expected her to but what she did say was always sincere. Ali reached around the woman and gave her a warm hug.

“Merry Christmas Vicki. Thanks for always being so good to me.” 

There was eggnog and wine and beer to help lift everyone’s spirits as well. Apollo wore a special Christmas bandana and patiently made his rounds waiting for clumsy guests to drop delicious food in his path. People came and went as their schedules required and spread out among the common rooms talking and laughing while they were there. There was NFL football on the big tv in the living room, because it was Saturday. The Patriots game was just ending and everybody was happy about the resounding win. There was also a lot of activity in the den where Tanner had set up his laptop to stream a soccer game.

“So who do you cheer for then?” Scott Krieger asked Ashlyn as they stood in the living room drinking beer with one of Scott’s sons, Jeff.

“It’s always been tough for me. The Dolphins were the first team in Florida and they’ve always been the best of the teams. Well, except for those couple of years when the Bucs were unbeatable. That was pretty cool.”

“No love for Jacksonville?” Jeff teased.

“Have you seen the Jaguars?” Ashlyn deadpanned and both men laughed. “Honestly, most of us just hope one of the teams does well in any given season. My hometown is sort of equidistant from all three cities. I think, technically, Tampa is closest, but not by much.”

“So do you hate the Patriots?” Scott asked and held his breath. It looked like he was hoping she wouldn’t say yes because then he’d have to stop being friendly to her.

“Not at all. As an athlete, you have to respect an organization that can win season after season after season after season...” she joked and both men laughed again. “But seriously, it’s true. I have nothing but respect for what they’ve been able to do. They’re probably going to go 14-2 again this season, right?” she asked, knowing the answer was probably yes.

“Unless something crazy happens next week, yeah.”

“I read that this will be the fifth time they’ve had that record, or better, and only the 49ers back in the Bill Walsh days have ever been able to do that more than twice. In the entire history of the NFL! That says it all to me right there” she continued.

“They don’t consider it a successful season unless they win the Super Bowl” Jeff added.

“That’s right” the blonde agreed. “That’s a true sign of a champion. Those expectations are crazy high. We’re all so spoiled up here by that.”

They chatted some more and Scott’s other son, Jon, joined them in the conversation. He had looked up Ashlyn’s career info since Thanksgiving and they all had a long conversation about sports injuries and penalty kicks and WPS championship she had won with the Flash in 2011 and the NWSL. These Krieger men didn’t know nearly as much about soccer as the Ken Krieger family did but they were enthusiastic about sports and soccer too. 

Little Allie ran giggling around the corner into the living room next to the conversationalists and crashed right into Apollo, who was easily twice her size. He yelped and she fell backward and hit her head on the rug, hard. The little 5 year old girl burst into tears. The room was full of people, mostly boys and men, and no-one moved a muscle to help her except for the blonde. Ashlyn took one long step towards little Allie and picked her up. She quickly set her eggnog down on the nearest table and hugged the toddler to her chest, cooing into her ear and slowly rubbing her hand on her back. The little girl stopped crying after a minute and sat back in Ashlyn’s arms, trying to see who had come to her rescue. The keeper smiled and winked at her and gently touched the back of her head, asking her if it was ok.

“I hit my head” she said adorably as she caught her breath after crying.

Ashlyn wiped the tears off of her cheeks with the back of her index finger and then booped her nose.

“Boop” the keeper said in her soft, high-pitched voice.

Little Allie giggled and Ashlyn smiled. The toddler pushed her little finger into the keeper’s dimple and giggled again. She placed a hand on either side of Ashlyn’s face and patted her cheeks a few times.

“You’re pretty” the little girl said and giggled again. “Mommy, she’s pretty” she said loudly, calling to her mother over Ashlyn’s shoulder.

The keeper turned them both around to face the kitchen where half of the guests, mostly women, were standing and watching their sweet interaction. The blonde blushed and laughed nervously as she looked down.

Ali’s cousin, Rachael, little Allie’s mom, walked over to them.

“Yes she is. She’s very nice too to pick you up and save you from the big doggie” Rachael replied warmly as she put one hand on Ashlyn’s arm and squeezed a thank you into it while she rubbed her daughter’s arm with the other.

“It wasn’t his fault mommy, I didn’t look and I ran into him” she admitted with another giggle and a glance over at Apollo.

Everybody laughed and Ashlyn gave the toddler to Rachael, smoothing her dress out for her and patting her on the back. Apollo came over to them and sniffed at little Allie’s foot. The keeper picked her eggnog up and patted the dog, hoping everybody would get back to whatever they had been doing before the crash.

“Ok, so she’s good with the guys, and with kids and with dogs? That’s just not fair Ali” Kelly, Jon’s wife, said from the kitchen making most of the women chuckle and agree. Kelly was the most open-minded member of their family, followed next by Jon and then Rachael. Becky, Uncle Scott’s wife, was the most conservative, followed by Scott and then Jeff. Jeff’s wife Vivian was pretty middle of the road, as was Rachael’s husband, little Allie’s father, Carl.

“I know” Ali replied with a shy grin. “That’s why I’m going to marry her.” She held her left hand up and wiggled her ring finger. The brunette hadn’t decided if she was going to tell people that day or not. But after the cute show in the living room and then Kelly’s perfect comment it was a set-up too good to miss.

“Oh my God!” Kelly squealed and the women pulled Ali back into the kitchen with them, swarming around her to get a look at the beautiful ring.

“Looks like the cat’s out of the bag” Ken said softly as he put his arm around the keeper. “Congratulations Ashlyn. I couldn’t be happier for the two of you.” His smile was as big as the blonde had ever seen it as she turned to return his hug.

It only took about five minutes before both women realized they didn’t want to tell the story without the other one. Ali stood on her tiptoes, thankful for the 2” heels, and caught her keeper’s eye. They grinned at each other and Ashlyn excused herself from the four Krieger men and walked into the kitchen. She was surprised to see that they had followed her, along with Rachael and little Allie. The room thinned out a bit as the family members gathered closest to Big Ali. Other guests politely took up positions around the perimeter of the room, wanting to hear the story but not wanting to intrude.

The next hour was spent listening to Ashlyn tell the romantic sunrise proposal story from her perspective. She even threw in a few jokes about how cold it had been and how much her teeth had been chattering the whole time Ali had proposed. She was quick to give the brunette all the credit and to assume the blame for not travelling that weekend and almost messing up her own proposal. And then Ali told everyone how sweet the blonde had been to try and wait a decent amount of time before proposing to her. And that she’d had the ring for months, just waiting for the right moment, before Ali beat her to the punch.

“She stole my thunder” Ashlyn teased playfully as she hugged Ali to her side. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. It was the most beautiful moment in my whole life.” She looked adoringly at her fiancée as Ali grinned back at her.

“Can I show them?” Ken asked, locking eyes with his daughter and holding his phone up.

“Sure Dad” Ali smiled at her father, touched that he not only kept the photo but was also able to bring it up so quickly on his phone. She wondered if it was his background. Just the thought made her emotions surge.

Everybody loved the selfie they had taken that cold morning with the sky ablaze behind them. The brunette started to get overwhelmed by her emotions and tried hard not to cry. She squeezed Ashlyn’s waist, her arm around it and holding her tightly, and smiled at her extended family surrounding her and supporting her. She turned her head towards her fiancée and, when the blonde turned to look back at her, kissed her softly. Ashlyn smiled into the kiss and then tried to pull back, not wanting to engage in a lot of pda in front of the uncomfortable Kriegers in the room. But Ali reached out with her free hand and held the blonde’s face right where it was. She deepened the kiss just a bit, caressing Ashlyn’s cheek with her thumb, and then slowly pulled her lips away.

“I love you” she whispered before letting go of the keeper’s face.

“I love you too.”

Later that night, after going to church and then meeting Sydney and Dom for a quick drink as the two couples crossed paths in Ipswich, Ashlyn and Ali returned home a little buzzed and very happy. The brunette went right to the kitchen sink and poured herself a big glass of water from the filter. She did not want to wake up Christmas morning with anything resembling a hangover. She handed Ashlyn another glass when the keeper came over and handed her two advil, obviously trying to avoid the same thing. They stood in front of the tree together for a minute admiring the star they had just put on the top, honoring Ali’s family tradition. After a few more minutes they finally went upstairs.

“Did you guys get to open a gift on Christmas Eve?” Ashlyn asked as they got ready for bed. 

“Yep. One each and mom or dad picked it out for us” Ali answered as she dried her face. “Why? Didn’t you?”

“No, we did. One present each but we picked our own. Tough luck if you picked out the package of socks” she chuckled and flushed the toilet.

“Ouch, that’s harsh.”

“It was a good lesson actually. We learned to choose very carefully. Gram finally had to add in a rule that we couldn’t touch them before we chose” Ashlyn chuckled again as she finished washing her hands and started brushing her teeth.

“Do you want to open one gift tonight Ash? Is that where this is headed?” Ali grinned at the blonde in the big mirror as she started to brush her teeth too.

Ashlyn shrugged her shoulders, mouth full of toothpaste, “could be fun. I’m just saying.”

“Woman!” Ashlyn whined 15 minutes later in the family room, “please just trust me. That one’s the one you want. I promise you honey.”

Ali sauntered around the tree one last time before winking at the blonde and picking up the wrapped box Ashlyn had suggested. She carried it over to her and kissed her sweetly on the lips.

“It better not be socks” she said, only half-joking.

Ashlyn sat in one of the comfortable arm chairs that usually faced the fireplace. She had turned it around to face the tree and pulled the brunette onto her lap so she could unwrap the gift.

“Oh my God Ashlyn” Ali smacked the keeper’s arm. “Were you going to let me bring this to my father’s house and open it there?” she paused and tried to read Ashlyn’s face. “I would have died from embarrassment. Oh my God.”

The box contained a new, properly sized, for Ali, strap-on and a new nylon harness with easier to use buckles. It was the same length as the other one but it was thicker and had some knobs on it that were supposed to enhance the sensation and provide more friction, even in extremely wet situations. It was neon green.

“Do you honestly think I would have let that happen Al?” the blonde shook her head in disbelief. “Sorry about the color, it was the only color they had left.”

“Thank you honey” Ali purred as she leaned down to kiss her girl soundly. “I love it. I can’t wait to try it” she said hotly as she licked Ashlyn’s lips before sitting back up on her lap.

“That’s the idea. Now why don’t you tell me which one I should open and we can get back upstairs before Santa gets here.” The keeper chuckled and played with the bare skin she could feel under the hem of Ali’s sleep tank.

“Well now that I understand the theme for tonight I have just the gift for you.” She was back with a small box in less than a minute. “Merry Christmas honey. I love you.”

Ashlyn opened an erotic massage kit that came in its’ own decorative box. When she lifted the lid she examined two different kinds of oils in small bottles with little corks in them. One was an almond massage oil and the other something called ‘the original oil of love’. Everything in the kit was tiny so you could travel with it if you wanted to, right inside the decorative box. There was a small cylinder of lube and then two small jars with lids you could re-close. One was a spearmint pleasure balm and the other was honey dust. The last item in the box was a six inch feather device made of four or five different very soft feathers bound together at the end by a leather knot that you could hold onto. It was meant to be used to spread the honey dust across the skin. Everything was edible and tasted and smelled good, according to all the reviews Ali had read beforehand.

“This is fantastic” Ashlyn enthused, more than a little impressed by her fiancée’s willingness to explore. “What does honey dust taste like I wonder?” she said with wide eyes and a smirk.

“We’ll just have to find out, won’t we?” the brunette flirted back.

“Wait. Hold that...everything” Ashlyn said breathlessly and pulled away from the intense make-out session they were enjoying on their bed.

They had pounced on each other downstairs and had a difficult time making it up the backstairs. Once in the bedroom they had stripped the clothes off of each other and put their new gifts on Ashlyn’s nightstand, simply because it was closest to the door to the backstairs. Ali sighed in frustration at the keeper’s absence, already very worked up. She pushed the comforter and covers down to the foot of the bed and sprawled out, idly running her hands across her stomach and hips.

The keeper returned two minutes later with the big, stand-alone mirror that had been her grandmother’s. It was almost three feet wide and the frame around it and the legs supporting it were an old, aged oak with a natural finish. It still wasn’t as big as the huge mirror over the bathroom sinks but she thought it would do the trick. Ashlyn had moved it around from bedroom to bedroom trying to find the best place for it. Those days it was in Meg’s room simply because it was the least used bedroom. It made sense to have it in there too because that was also the closet they were using for overflow clothes and formal wear.

“Oh I like the way you’re thinking babe” Ali praised her from her spot on the bed.

“Do you want to try your new strap-on tonight?” the blonde asked hopefully.

Ali had already rolled over, grabbed the new dildo and hurried to the bathroom to wash it as she answered.

“Yes, please. And I want to watch you fuck me from behind in that mirror.”

Ashlyn felt her core tighten as the brunette’s words affected everything in her body. She put the mirror on Ali’s side of the bed, by the fireplace, and tilted it so it was straight up and down. She got on her knees on the bed to see if she had positioned it correctly. After a couple of adjustments she moved on to the new harness and stepped into it and tightened it until it fit perfectly. Ali hugged her from behind and bit down gently on her shoulder causing the keeper to moan in expectation.

“I’m so fucking turned on right now baby” she admitted with darkening eyes as she turned and kissed the brunette passionately. Their lips were already red and swollen from all of their making out and teasing beforehand. “You’re so sexy Ali. I just can’t believe how hot you make me. Every. Damned. Time.” She bucked her hips into her fiancée and pulled her forward by her ass between each word.

Ali moved her mouth down to Ashlyn’s nipples, eager to get some time with them before she wouldn’t be able to touch much of the blonde for a while. After a few minutes of glorious sucking and flicking, Ashlyn’s nipples were stiff and erect and beautiful.

“God I love your breasts” Ali whined, already missing the contact as Ashlyn turned them around and pushed the brunette back onto the bed with a sultry smirk.

“You make them feel so good baby. See how hard they are for you?”

“Fuck, Ash.” Ali got momentarily dizzy as she watched her keeper take the new, knobby dildo and run it through her own wet folds to lube it up.

“Definitely do not need the lube. How about you?” Ashlyn asked as she inserted the dildo into the harness and climbed onto the bed.

“Nuh-uh” Ali answered as she slid her fingers through her own slick folds and then held them out for Ashlyn to suck.

The keeper felt her heart race when she tasted Ali and licked her fingers clean. Her clit twitched and she felt her own passion pool between her legs.

“Jesus, Al” she murmured as she released her fingers “you taste amazing.”

Ali could see the lust on the blonde’s face. Her eyes were dark and her lips were already parted as she tried to even her breathing and not get too excited too quickly. The brunette knew the feeling. She was so turned on that she could probably come just from Ashlyn blowing on her pussy from six inches away.

“Are you ready gorgeous?” the keeper asked, voice dark and thick.

Ali rolled over and crawled on her hands and knees towards her side of the bed, facing the mirror. She didn’t worry about Ashlyn trying anything anal with her any more. They had talked about it. Ali brought it up and had told her again that if it was important to the keeper she would try to find a way to make it work. The blonde had reassured that she loved her ass, every inch of it, but that she had no real desire to explore anal. They both agreed to revisit the subject occasionally but Ashlyn swore she just wasn’t that interested in it. Once Ali didn’t have to worry about a surprise addition to their repertoire, she relaxed and enjoyed this position even more. She still hated not being able to touch or see Ashlyn but she was hoping this mirror might make a big difference in that regard. 

Ali slowly wagged her ass back and forth, teasing her keeper. “I’m ready for you. Come fuck me babe” she said provocatively.

They both looked in the mirror as Ashlyn got into position behind the sexy brunette, trying to make sure they could both see each other’s face. When they agreed everything was in place Ashlyn put her hands on Ali’s ass and caressed it lovingly. She pressed kisses into the brunette’s back and moved her hands up and down from her hips to her shoulders and back a few times. Ali moaned when she felt the keeper’s hands move around to her nipples and give them a gentle squeeze. When Ashlyn’s hands finally got into place at the top of the brunette’s thighs, ready to hold her in place, she let the tip of the dildo poke into Ali’s wet entrance. The brunette gasped at the contact and then moaned and stuck her ass back and up, eager for more. The blonde took one hand and opened Ali’s folds, making sure she was still nice and wet too. The new dildo was thicker and also had those knobs so Ashlyn wanted to go a little slower and let her girl get used to the new toy. She guided the tip back towards Ali’s dripping pussy. The keeper dragged the tip up and down a few times, again making Ali moan loudly.

“Ashlyn, please...”

“This one’s thicker, I just don’t want to hurt you” the blonde explained the delay with a gentle squeeze on Ali’s hip.

She pushed the tip inside and felt the brunette gasp again and hold her breath.

“Is that ok? Is it too big?” Ashlyn asked evenly, trying to control her own desire as it flared up when the pressure on the dildo pushed back against her own clit.

“It’s good, feels good” Ali exhaled.

The keeper pushed it farther in and then waited another few seconds for Ali to adjust to it. When she heard the brunette hum she knew she could keep going. After two more pauses she finally bottomed out and her thighs were right up against the back of Ali’s.

“Jesus Ashlyn” Ali breathed out and looked up at her fiancée in the mirror. “That feels fucking good.”

She couldn’t believe what a difference the thicker strap-on made. If this was what it was supposed to feel like, then, holy shit. She clenched her walls around it a few times and sighed contentedly at feeling so full. The keeper’s clit got a jolt every time Ali clenched and pushed against the dildo.

“Yeah it does” Ashlyn smirked as she rubbed her hands all over her fiancée again. “Here we go” she warned as she put her hands back in place and held the brunette tightly against her.

She started out slowly. The blonde pulled halfway out and took her time pushing back in again, just in case. Then she pulled almost all the way out and pushed all the way back in without any breaks. After a couple more experimental pushes and pulls she started thrusting slowly and steadily, loving the way Ali moaned out her approval.

“Mmmmm...Unnhhh...yes...”

The sensations she was getting against her clit were incredible. The extra friction from the extra thickness was unbelievable. She could only guess how much Ali was loving it. The brunette had dropped down to her elbows, her mouth was slack and her eyes half-closed as she moaned and whimpered in pleasure. Ashlyn increased her thrusting speed to medium and felt the muscles in the brunette’s right leg tremble against her when she was all the way in.

“Oh fuck. Yeah babe. You fuck me so good” Ali grunted out breathlessly as Ashlyn increased the pace again. The brunette looked into the mirror, forcing her eyes all the way open so she could watch her magnificent keeper bring her towards the edge. “Oh my God, yes!”

Ashlyn was having a hard time controlling herself. The dildo on her clit felt great but listening to the sounds of Ali’s groans was driving her wild. She had to move things along or she might not be able to finish before she had an orgasm herself.

“You ready to come for me?”

The keeper tweaked Ali’s nipples again, causing a loud shout of pleasure in response and then brought both hands back to her hips again for the final push. Ashlyn increased her pace one last time and was thrusting as deep and fast as she could. She felt a bead of sweat fall from her forehead and land on Ali’s ass, as it shook and jiggled from the pounding the blonde was giving it. Ashlyn was always surprised at how turned on she got from the sound their skin made as they slapped against each other. That sound was up there with Ali’s laugh and the ocean on the list of her favorite things in the world she could ever possibly hear. The brunette was rocking her ass back into Ashlyn, keeping the rhythm the blonde had set, but as she climbed towards her release she started to get sloppy.

“Unnhhh...Unnhhh...Unnnhhh... she grunted out, trying to focus her eyes on Ashlyn’s face in the mirror.

The keeper reached around with her right hand and found Ali’s clit. She jumped when she felt Ashlyn’s fingers on it but then started to press against them as they rubbed the excited bundle of nerves. They moved together like that for another few minutes as Ali’s legs slowly started sliding lower and her grunts gradually got louder and louder. 

“Harder” Ali gasped out. “My clit.”

Ashlyn pressed harder with her fingers and then felt her fiancée stop moving. The blonde locked eyes with her in the mirror and felt her own legs shake. She kept thrusting and sweating and rubbing Ali’s clit as the brunette’s mouth opened wider and then her body exploded in its’ orgasm. Ali shook and twitched and dropped her face down onto the bed trying to hold on as she came hard.

“Fuck! Yes!!!” she shouted out louder than the blonde had ever heard her before. 

Ashlyn let go of her clit and slowed the thrusts down to just gentle and slow. Ali reached back with one hand and pushed against the keeper’s hip, telling her wordlessly to stop moving. The blonde stopped thrusting and rubbed Ali’s ass and hips and back as the brunette collapsed onto the bed. Ashlyn angled her hips and pulled the strap-on out of her sopping wet pussy which caused both of Ali’s legs to tremble and shake violently. The keeper quickly took the harness off and climbed on top of her fiancée’s ass, centered on one cheek. She straddled the voluptuous, muscular derriere that made her so horny all the time. Ashlyn was so wet she slid easily across it, applying more pressure and grinding against it with a throaty groan of pleasure. Every time she slid down she dragged her sensitive, swollen clit against Ali’s skin.

“Oh...yeah...Jesus...” she grunted and increased her pressure and pace as she supported the top half of her body with her arms on either side of Ali’s recovering form.

It felt unbelievable. She knew she could come that way. Maybe not ever again, but that night, at that moment, Ashlyn could feel her orgasm getting ready. It was like the very first night they had sex and Ali had come from grinding their mounds together. It was amazing that night but they’d never been able to re-create it. It always felt good, but was never enough to actually get either of them off. Ashlyn didn’t care if this was a one-time thing. Ali’s ass felt incredible and her clit felt like it was going to explode with pleasure.

The brunette finally realized what was happening and opened her eyes to watch her favorite face in the mirror, twisted and contorted as she worked for her release. Ali lifted her ass up, hoping to help supply more friction or pressure. She wasn’t sure exactly what else she could do. She kept watching her gorgeous girl in the mirror and started to talk slowly in a low, sultry voice.

“Ride my ass babe” she oozed out the words and they went right to Ashlyn’s clit. “Get it Ash. Goddamn you’re so fucking sexy. Oh you feel so good riding my ass. Are you gonna come up there? Mmmmmm. Are you gonna come all over me babe? Are you gonna come all over my sexy ass? Fuck that’s hot.”

“Aliiii!” she cried out when the orgasm finally hit her. Her whole body tensed and then convulsed as the muscles clenched, then pulled and pushed her limbs all over. “Fuucckkk” she groaned as she rode it out, loving the slippery mess she had made of Ali’s backside. She finally lowered herself down onto the brunette’s back and panted for breath. “Jesus fucking Christ” she managed to get out while trying to fill her lungs back up with air. “That was amazing baby. Oh my God.”

They lay like that for several minutes until Ashlyn thought she might be getting too heavy. Ali loved feeling her keeper on top of her like that. It felt safe and permanent and perfect.

“That was new” Ali murmured against the blonde’s lips as she pressed a kiss there, lying on their sides and facing each other. “And sexy as hell. For the record.”

“I don’t know what happened Al. I’m sorry but I couldn’t help it.”

“Ashlyn, why are you apologizing? That was incredibly hot and it seems like you had a pretty good orgasm. What’s the matter?” she asked softly as she slowly placed tender kisses all over the keeper’s face.

“I don’t know.” The blonde had her eyes closed but still blinked every time a sweet kiss landed on her skin. “I guess I feel like I should have asked you first.”

“Honey, look at me” Ali waited until the keeper opened her beautiful tawny, hazel eyes. “You’ve got a green light as far as I’m concerned. If I don’t like something I’ll let you know. I promise. I want you to be comfortable with me while we’re having sex. I don’t want you to be all in your head worrying about things.” She brought their lips together in a soft kiss. “Ok?”

“Ok” the blonde said gratefully. She kissed Ali deeply. “Thanks baby. You’re just so good to me and I love you.”

“I love you too” the brunette mumbled against Ashlyn’s lips before pulling back for a few seconds. “And I love my new present” she giggled as they kissed some more.

“Merry Christmas princess.”


	47. Perfect Fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brings Part 2 to a close. I hope you enjoyed it half as much as I've enjoyed sharing it with you.  
> Thanks for reading and commenting and loving the A-team.  
> I'll be posting the first chapter of Part 3 tomorrow or the next day as a little taste of what's to come.

Christmas morning was quiet and cozy in the big old house. They slept in and stayed in bed watching ‘The Family Stone’ while they drank coffee and fed each other slices of gingerbread loaf.

“Must be a pretty special day if you’re letting us eat in bed” Ali teased as they settled into place.

“Well you’re letting us watch tv in the bedroom so I thought it was only fair” Ashlyn replied with a wink. “Besides, we may have to burn these sheets after last night anyway, between how wet we got them and then how sticky with your new massage kit.” They both laughed out loud.

“Now we know what honey dust tastes like and also that a little pleasure balm goes a long way” Ali giggled and kissed her keeper.

“See all the advantages of staying home for Christmas?” Ashlyn quipped. “Educational experiences too.”

Ali brought their lips together in a sweet, gingerbready kiss and giggled.

“I can’t believe Kyle got Nico to go to your mom’s house for Christmas. I never saw that one coming.” Ashlyn shook her head.

“His parents went on a cruise or something...” Ali cringed as she realized she had just brought up a sore subject.

“Must be the year for that” Ashlyn chuckled, trying not to let the image of Meg’s little face bring her down on Christmas. “How long are they staying in Miami? Are they staying with your mom?”

“They got there yesterday and are staying with mom until Monday I think. Then they’re going to visit some friends of Nico’s in Miami for a few days. Then they’re supposed to come back to mom’s for New Year’s Eve at the club with us, but I’ll believe that when I see it.” Ali giggled and took another bite of gingerbread.

When the movie was over they got up and cleaned up. They showered and changed the bed and washed the toys from the night before. As Ali walked out of the bathroom after her shower she saw Ashlyn looking out the window towards the ocean. The blonde was already dressed, her hair still damp, and she had an unreadable look on her face. Ali, wrapped in a towel, went over and hugged her from behind. She held her close for a minute.

“Do you miss your ocean this morning sweetheart?” she asked softly, knowing that the keeper must.

“Yeah, I do” Ashlyn answered, just as softly. She put her arms on top of Ali’s and squeezed them gently. “But I still wouldn’t change a thing about our Christmas. This house finally feels like home to me, and it’s because you’re in it Ali.” Ashlyn took a minute to gather her emotions. “I was just standing here thinking about it and, as much as I miss Gram and even Chris, I’m so much happier here with you.” She felt the brunette kiss her shoulder and hug her tighter. “And I’ve still got my ocean. It’s just right out there now” she nodded towards the frigid beach within walking distance from their house. “And I’m alright with that.”

Christmas day at Ken’s was a little less exciting than Christmas Eve had been. It was just the two Krieger families. Vicki was originally from Michigan and had moved with her first husband to the Boston area when their kids were little. His job required an occasional re-location and, after they were divorced, she and the boys stayed on the North Shore and he moved to someplace in California for work. 

They spent the afternoon exchanging gifts and playing with the new toys and gadgets everyone opened. Ali had opened a jewelry box from Ashlyn to find two beautiful rings inside. They were wide bands with three strips around them. The one for Ali had a dark middle strip between two platinum strips. The one for Ashlyn had two dark strips with the platinum strip in the middle.

“These were a whole lot cooler before we broke out the big guns” Ashlyn joked and held up her left hand with her beautiful engagement ring.

“Oh I love these Ashlyn. They’re beautiful. Thank you so much honey” Ali crossed the room and gave her fiancée a hug and a kiss and then took a few minutes to put the new rings on their middle fingers. They decided to wear them on their right hands to try and balance out the bling. 

Everyone helped with the big meal, trying to give Vicki a break from being the permanent hostess.

“Next year we’ll host one and give you a real break Vicki” Ashlyn offered as they sat around the big dining room table and fold-away table for all of the extra bodies.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea” Ken added, enjoying the way his daughter’s face had paled when she heard the keeper’s offer.

“Definitely” Ali agreed, recovering quickly. All she could think about was how insanely busy her Thanksgiving week already was. “Whatever works best. It’ll be great.”

“Thanksgiving might be tough though because Ali’s so busy at work then” Ashlyn said. “But we’ll figure something out.”

After dinner had been cleaned up and things had quieted down a little bit, Ali looked at her dad.

“Living room or den?” she asked with a grin.

“Living room. I think we’ll need the extra room” Ken answered with a wink.

The Scott Kriegers had left after dinner so the Ken Kriegers sat together in the living room, even Tanner and Koty, and watched ‘A Christmas Story’. At first Ali wasn’t thrilled at having to share her special father-daughter tradition with Vicki and the boys, but after a couple of minutes her petulance disappeared. They had always said anyone was welcome to join them, but nobody ever had. The longer she sat there the more right it felt. And it was fun to experience the movie through Tanner and Koty’s fresh eyes. She held Ashlyn’s hand and grinned at her dad as they all appreciated the Christmas classic.

//

Two days later they were in Gram’s living room showing the Harris clan their engagement rings and trading Christmas stories. Gram had refused to let any of the Harrises open the gifts that Ashlyn and Ali had shipped down before Christmas. She made them wait until her Bashy had arrived so they could exchange gifts in person. It was a fun night and they all had to admit it was extra enjoyable without any Christmas pressure. There was something freeing about doing it on the 27th instead of the 25th. Ashlyn knew she couldn’t stay away for very long though. She just knew in her heart that she would have to go to Satellite Beach for Christmas next year. She hoped they could figure out a way to make everything work.

They were driving to Miami Friday evening which gave them three more days at Gram’s. Ashlyn got up early all three mornings and surfed with some combination of her cousin, brother and father. Ali continued to get surfing lessons from the keeper and was actually making progress. After she was done surfing Ashlyn would bring the brunette out and help her get up on her board. Ali swallowed a lot of seawater and wanted to give up a couple of times because she got so frustrated. But she persevered and actually managed to get up and stay up for a few seconds a handful of times. The brunette was convinced that the extra lessons on the boogie board up in Gloucester had helped her and gotten her used to being on the waves.

Chris and Beth came over to Gram’s both other nights to eat dinner, hang out and play cards. They all laughed so hard it was some of the most fun any of them had enjoyed in a long time. The four days raced by way too quickly for any of their liking and Ashlyn had tears in her eyes as they drove the rental car away from Satellite Beach Friday night.

Deb was waiting up for them just before midnight and Ashlyn felt guilty for making Ali stop to get snacks along the way.

“Oh she told me not to wait up but I just am so excited to see you two!” Deb explained to the keeper as she hugged them both just inside the front door.

Ali hugged her mother for a long time. Longer than almost any other hug Deb could remember. They both started to cry a little bit and things got very emotional. Ashlyn quietly brought their bags up to the guest room and gave them some time together. Fifteen minutes later when she came back downstairs, mother and daughter were sitting together at the kitchen table drinking tea and eating some of Deb’s special Italian Christmas cookies. The blonde stopped and was about to turn around and go back upstairs to bed when Deb caught her eye.

“Ashlyn, come sit with us honey” she beckoned with her arm and patted the table next to her.

Ali, whose back was to the blonde, got up and moved to the counter.

“Do you want some sleepytime tea or some hot cocoa babe?” she asked glancing over her shoulder at her fiancée.

“Is it hot cocoa from a pod?” Ashlyn asked as she took the seat next to her future mother-in-law.

“I’ll make you the good stuff” Ali smiled softly at her girl as she moved to get the milk from the fridge.

Deb inspected both of Ashlyn’s new rings and hugged the blonde again as the excitement of the engagement filled the room.

“And what did Alex get you for Christmas? Something nice I hope because those rings you got are beautiful.”

“She did!” the blonde’s enthusiasm for her gift making her eyes light up. “She got me a new wetsuit for cold water so I can start surfing more at home. A fullsuit with everything...hood, booties, gloves...”

“They were sold out of common sense though, so make sure you wait until at least the ice melts” Ali teased as she stirred the hot cocoa on the stove. 

The three women spent an hour talking and catching up. Ashlyn sat slumped down in her chair with her arms folded across her chest and a sleepy smile on her face. Her eyes were mostly closed but one of them kept lifting up a tiny bit every couple of minutes. The one eyebrow above that struggling eye was raised almost to her hairline as if it alone could keep the sleepy eyelid open for another few minutes.

“See, there it is” Ali spoke quietly to her mother and nodded at the keeper. “That’s her exhausted but trying really hard to stay awake face.”

“How cute is that? Look at her little eyebrow trying so hard” Deb cooed and giggled. “I’m so glad you’re here but we’d better get to bed. Big day tomorrow and I need my beauty sleep” she chuckled as she stood and kissed her daughter on her cheek. “Good night honey. I love you.”

“Love you too mom. Sleep well.”

//

The New Year’s Eve celebration at the club was just as much fun as it had been the year before, but different. Kyle and Nico had indeed shown up at Deb’s house for lunch, right on schedule. Deb and Ali had spent some time that morning discussing Kyle’s new boyfriend. Deb was not a fan yet. She used the ‘yet’ herself when she answered Ali’s question. She wanted to give him more time, but there was definitely something about him that made her uneasy. Rather, there was something about Kyle when he was around Nico that made her uneasy. That was an important distinction.

“Kyle told me how hurt he was that you didn’t tell him about your proposal plans.”

“Ugh. I know. I screwed up” Ali replied with a grimace. “It felt right at the time, even Syd thought so, but as soon as it came time to propose I just knew there was no way I could do it without him.”

“He’s tougher than we think he is, for all his sensitivity and kind-heartedness. I know your heart was in the right place but you really hurt him.” 

“I know mom.” Ali paused and met her mother’s eyes. “We’re working on it.”

“Good, that’s what I wanted to hear. I don’t like it when you two fight.” Deb reached across the breakfast table and squeezed her daughter’s hand. “Someday it’ll just be the two of you, your father and I will be gone, and you’ll need to stick together.”

“Ok mom. We’ll be fine. Can we please change the subject to something less morose?”

“Sure baby girl,” Deb pulled her hand back, took another sip of coffee and then spoke. “Do you still feel good about your work with the therapist?”

“Wow, from one great subject to another...” she joked darkly.

Ashlyn walked into the kitchen, freshly showered, and made herself a cup of coffee. She had heard Deb’s question and debated whether or not to give them some privacy. But, she decided, if you were going to sit in the room with the coffee then you were going to have to deal with other people interrupting you.

“Good morning ladies” she said as she joined them at the table with the plate of eggs she had pulled from inside the warming oven. “Thank you for breakfast baby” she kissed Ali’s cheek as she sat down.

Ali rubbed the keeper’s thigh once she sat down and then answered her mother.

“Yes. I’m so glad I stuck it out. I got discouraged and almost stopped seeing her but she figured it out. Once I wrote that letter to Emily and worked through everything on it with Mattie I felt like a huge weight had been lifted. I didn’t even realize I had been carrying it” Ali explained as she slowly spun her coffee cup around in a circle on the table. 

“That’s terrific Alex. I’m so happy for you” Deb squeezed her hand again. “I know that wasn’t easy and I’m so proud of you honey.”

It wasn’t until they got to the club that Ali found out that Deb had let Kyle choose their events for them. The brunette was upset for a few minutes but shrugged it off. She knew it was her mother and brother’s way of punishing her for icing him out of the proposal. Maybe now they would let it go. Kyle had signed them up for the beach volleyball tournament and since it would be more time-consuming he had only chosen one other event for later in the afternoon, the three-legged race. He knew from hearing about the proposal that the race was important to his sister. Ali couldn’t complain one bit about Kyle’s choices. She had wanted to play volleyball last year but Ashlyn’s shoulder had made that impossible.

It was four vs four for the volleyball tournament and they had the perfect team. Nico was the weak link and it was funny to see him try and deal with that. He certainly wasn’t used to being fourth out of four in anything. He was a pretty good sport about it though. He knew Ashlyn was an athlete and he was very well aware of how fit Kyle was. What he hadn’t counted on was how athletic and coordinated Ali was. It was a round robin type of tournament and there were four teams. So they each played three games and then the two teams with the most points played for the championship. The two teams with the fewest points played for third place. They played all afternoon with short breaks between the games and Debbie and Mike cheering them on like crazy. Their team worked well together and they finished the day with the second most points. 

During the break before the championship game the four teammates competed in the three-legged race. Now that they weren’t all on the same team, the smack-talking started. Kyle and Ashlyn led the way with the trash-talk right up to the moment the race began. There were twelve different pairs competing in the race and the two Krieger pairs immediately surged to the lead with three other teams. All five teams were very close as they made the turn at the half-way point and started to run back. Two of the five teams tried to increase their pace and break out of the pack but they both tripped up and got tangled up and fell down. As the remaining three teams got halfway down the homestretch Kyle started urging Nico on to finish strong. Ashlyn did the same thing but much quieter. Both Krieger teams put a little distance between them and the third team with only twenty feet left to go to the finish line. Ali looked over at her brother and saw him working his butt off and somehow still smiling through it. She could tell that he was happy to be in Nico’s arms, working together towards a common goal, and slightly in the lead.

“C’mon Al, let’s move!” the blonde urged again, feeling like her fiancée wasn’t pushing as hard as she usually did. “They’ve got us by a step. Let’s go!!”

Kyle and Nico crossed the finish line a split second before Ali and Ashlyn did and all four of them collapsed to the ground, exhausted. The women had to put up with Kyle and even Nico taunting them for the rest of the evening about their close, well-fought victory. Ali hadn’t seen her brother look so happy in a long time. Ashlyn suspected that the brunette had held a little something back at the end of the race but she never brought it up. She watched Ali’s face carefully as the brunette snuck another look at her brother’s exuberant victory celebration. There was a first time for everything, the blonde thought, and Ali being happy to lose was something she never thought she would see.

Kyle’s excellent day kept getting better as their team won the beach volleyball championship too. The final had been a very good game but Kyle had been able to block several shots at the net and push his team to victory. Deb rolled her eyes as she listened to her oldest child gloat while they waited in line for the clambake dinner down on the beach.

“Careful now Kyle, you’ll hurt your neck carrying that big head around” she warned and gave him a look for good measure.

Deb had the same suspicion that Ashlyn did but knew better than to bring it up. Ali seemed content with the way things turned out, which should have been Kyle’s first tip-off, and everyone was happy. Deb knew better than to make waves. 

The club had hired people who actually knew how to do a clambake and the food was incredible. Earlier in the afternoon they had dug the hole in the sand on the beach, careful to keep it far enough up the beach so high tide wouldn’t ruin it. They prepped the hole with big round stones and then fresh seaweed and then placed a big grate over them. Then the fire was built on top of the grate. This was a tricky part because you wanted the fire to go out shortly after the additional stones had reached their ideal heated temperature. It wasn’t something you could just look up in a book. When the extra stones and seaweed were the perfect temperature the clambake folks spread them around inside the hole and then added a thick layer of fresh, wet seaweed on top. Now the seafood was put on top of the wet seaweed: lobsters, crabs, mussels, three different types of clams, corn on the cob, potatoes and carrots. Then they carried up a huge canvas tarp that they had just soaked in the ocean and covered the whole pit with it, weighing it down with more, unheated, stones to keep it tight. It was an old-fashioned, gigantic steam-cooker. Three hours later, dinner would be served. The club had four different holes, all pretty big and all ready to eat right around the same time.

They all enjoyed their feast and sat along the beach in some beach chairs that had been distributed randomly around, just like last year. The conversation was fun and friendly and surprisingly gloat-free. The couples all split up after the meal and took walks along the beach or hit the bar or played horseshoes on the beach or relaxed in the lounge chairs. It had been a long day and it was only 8pm. Ali honestly didn’t think she would have the energy to dance at all after playing four volleyball games in the sand. Her legs were spent and she knew they’d be killing her tomorrow. But she couldn’t resist dancing with Ashlyn. The goofy blonde wasn’t afraid of having fun on the dance floor and Ali admired her for it. The keeper knew she wasn’t the best dancer out there but she was going to have a good time anyway, no matter what. That was one of the brunette’s favorite things about her. Ashlyn chose to be happy almost more than anybody she’d ever known. And it struck Ali that it must be harder for her sometimes, on her darker days, but she still made that same choice. God she loved that woman. They danced for a few songs and then sat and had a drink and then danced for a couple more. Kyle and Nico joined them for a while and eventually Deb did too. She left Mike down on the beach to guard the chairs for the fireworks again. 

At 11pm Ali led the blonde out of the ballroom and down to the beach for some fresh air. She was happy to re-create their walk on the beach from the year before too. They both felt a little gross from sweating all day long and would have loved to take a shower and change their clothes but that just wasn’t how the day worked. Everybody was in the same boat, at least those partygoers who competed in anything or sweated in the heat. Ashlyn interlaced their fingers as they held hands and smiled at each other. They walked a good distance down the beach so the noise from the gathering crowd wasn’t so loud and the Cape Cod themed lanterns were spaced farther apart. They dropped their shoes by a lantern and walked into the cool ocean, breathing in the night air and letting the soft breeze chase the day’s exertion away.

“That water sure feels good” Ashlyn said quietly as she gazed out over the water.

Ali agreed and bent down to wet her hands in the saltwater. She put one on the back of her neck and the other on her stomach to cool herself off.

“How much do you want to go for a swim right now” she groaned as she repeated her efforts.

“Why don’t we?” Ashlyn asked with a shrug. 

“I’m not skinny-dipping at my mom’s club. Forget it.” Ali’s voice made it clear it was a non-negotiable issue.

“I never said we had to skinny-dip, although now I really really want to” the blonde teased and giggled. “I meant just swim in our underwear, or even our clothes. I can’t feel any grosser than I already do. I think the saltwater will actually be an improvement.”

“There are some towels by the lounge chairs too. I saw them when we were eating” Ali added, liking the idea more and more.

They ran back and grabbed a towel, there was only one left, and returned to their spot down the beach. It was almost 11:30 so they didn’t have a lot of time. They took their shorts and t-shirts off and piled them with their shoes and the towel by the lantern. They tucked their phones away safely in their clothes as well and then giggled at each other again as they walked into the sea holding hands. The water was a lovely 70 degrees and it felt wonderful on their skin. Neither of them wasted time. They dove under the water and swam around for a few minutes, never far from each other. It was very dark in the water and they didn’t want to lose sight of their clothes. Ali wrapped her arms around the blonde’s neck and kissed her slowly. She purposely didn’t wrap her legs around her waist because she didn’t want to be tempted by her sexy keeper. Ashlyn ran her hands up and down Ali’s sides and squeezed her ass. When she started to slide her hands inside the back of the brunette’s panties she got the red light.

“Ash, don’t.” Ali pushed herself away from her fiancée. “Please don’t get me all worked up right now.”

“Well then don’t kiss me like that, woman” Ashlyn countered, pulling the brunette back into her. “I’m only human and you’re fucking gorgeous.”

“Shhhh. Keep your voice down” Ali giggled and kissed the blonde again, this time with less heat. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too baby. What a difference a year makes huh?” Ashlyn smiled against the brunette’s lips as they kissed again and started moving in towards the beach. “I know you threw that race. You made it nice and close but I know.”

Ali pulled back and looked down and then back up quickly. “I’m sorry honey. I still can’t believe I did that. Winning that race meant so much to him and I hurt him so badly by not telling him about the proposal. It just felt like I had a chance to do something nice for him for a change.”

“Except that he’ll be crushed if he ever finds out” Ashlyn replied quietly.

“Well, I’m not going to tell him and you’d better not...”

“Honey, I would never. I’ve never told anybody any of your secrets and I never will” the blonde spoke seriously. 

“You’ve never even told Whitney about Emily?” Ali asked in a small voice.

“Nope. I only told her that you had a bad relationship where you didn’t get treated right. And I only told her that because she was trying to figure out why I was freaking out about our first date last year.”

“You freaked out about our first date?”

“Well, yeah. Didn’t you? I wanted it to be perfect for you.”

“Yeah, Syd gave me a little pep talk that might have saved the whole night for me.” She kissed Ashlyn’s cheek. “I love our besties.”

“For the record, I don’t condone throwing races or losing games on purpose with children or any of that. But I’ll let you have this one. This fancy new ring you got me makes me kind of a softie” the blonde chuckled.

“Thanks babe. I’m usually dead set against it too, as you know. But I feel like I have so much. With you, my heart and my life are just so full and happy. It seemed like I could afford to give him that race. Like it would have been greedy of me to take the race too. Does that make any sense?”

“Yeah, it does. You’re too good sometimes, you know that?”

“No, you are.”

They kissed for another minute and then heard the ten minute announcement. They hurried out of the water, feeling refreshed, and dried themselves off with the towel. They quickly got dressed and did their best to dry their hair and make themselves presentable.

“There you two are” Deb exclaimed as they joined their group at the chaise lounge chairs closer to the clambake area. 

“Sorry mom. We went for a quick swim” Ali offered as she kissed her mother on the cheek and sat on the end of the chaise lounge.

“I can see that” Deb chuckled. “I wish I’d thought of that” she said as she moved over to cuddle up with her husband in their chair.

“Oooh did somebody go skinny-dipping?” Nico teased them from his spot next to Kyle on their chaise lounge. They were sitting side by side on the end.

“No no, no nudity involved at all” Ashlyn reassured them. “Not that I didn’t suggest it” she said quietly and smirked at Nico.

“I heard that.” Deb shot them a stern glance before laughing.

“Oh god” Ali said and put her head in her hands in embarrassment.

“Hey, you brought her” Kyle quipped and reached his leg out to playfully kick his sister’s chair.

The announcer gave the one minute warning and everybody got into their positions. Deb sat on Mike’s lap in their chair. Ashlyn lowered the back of the chaise lounge down and lay down on her back so Ali could snuggle into her side. And Nico and Kyle sat side by side, arms around each other and legs on top of each other. The countdown started and the crowd eagerly yelled out the numbers. 10, 9, 8... 

Deb looked over at her two children, both so happy and wonderful. She got emotional and turned back and tried to wipe her tears away without anyone noticing. Ali remembered last year when she had started to panic about the kiss as soon as the countdown had begun. The entire countdown was a blur to her because her mind had completely locked onto the scary possibility of kissing Ashlyn for New Year’s. 

7,6,5...

Ashlyn felt her fiancée snuggled close against her side and gave her shoulders a squeeze. She thought about how much she wanted to have fireworks at their wedding and grinned at the dark sky above them.

4, 3, 2...

The brunette had been waiting for the re-do on this New Year’s kiss all year. She had promised herself that she was going to kiss Ashlyn the way she wanted to kiss her, regardless of who was around them. In that moment she was nervously re-thinking that, suddenly shy between her mother and brother.

1 Happy New Year!!!

The crowd erupted and cheered and ‘Auld Lang Syne’ played and the fireworks show started. Ali leaned up on her elbow and smiled emotionally when she saw Ashlyn looking at her with nothing but love. She bent down and gave the blonde one of the most love-filled, passionate kisses she had ever given. It was deep and slow and sensual and everything a great kiss should be. Fuck everybody else. If they didn’t want to see what true love looked like then they could close their damned eyes.

“Do you remember last year when I told you the thing I was the most grateful for was your friendship?” Ashlyn asked quietly after their kiss. Ali had settled back onto her chest and shoulder and they were watching the fireworks above them.

“I do. You said you were looking forward to all the fun things we were going to do this past year together.” Ali chuckled. “I think we knocked that out of the park.”

“Yeah we sure did” Ashlyn agreed, flashing another grin. “Well the thing I’m most thankful for this year is your love. And I mean all of your love. You showed me love like no-one ever has before Ali. You loved me unconditionally, even when I didn’t deserve it, and I can’t thank you enough for that.” The blonde had tears in her eyes but Ali couldn’t see them, cinnamon eyes fixed on the colorful sky. Ashlyn continued. “And what I’m looking forward to this year is becoming your wife and then trying to find a way to make you happier than you’ve ever been before. Happy New Year baby. I love you.”

“I love you too Ash” Ali leaned up and kissed her keeper again. “And I’m already happier than I’ve ever been before. Just keep waking up next to me each morning and loving me and I can’t imagine anything better than that.”

They kissed again and then brought their attention back to the fireworks in the sky. This night, right at that moment with the reds and blues and whites showering their figures with mottled light as the fireworks worked towards the grand finale, was the culmination of everything they had worked and fought for. Their first fireworks at the 4th of July where Ali had fallen in love with the blonde. The fireworks at Epcot at the end of Ashlyn’s dirty thirty birthday celebration. That trip had been when the keeper had realized Ali was who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. The fireworks last New Year’s when they had kissed but not been free to truly kiss the way they wanted to, all of their hidden and buried feelings starting to simmer just under the surface. The fireworks from this past 4th of July when they were together but not truly connected, still reeling from the turbulence that day to day life had caused. The fireworks on vacation in August, again at Epcot, where they were more connected than ever and deeply in love. And that had all brought them to this point tonight. These were their perfect fireworks. The women were more linked than they ever knew was possible. The connection they had felt in August was a six and this fusion they had worked for now was a nine or a ten. They had shared things with each other, intimate details about what their hearts and souls needed to stay connected and bound together. They had agreed to be married and share the rest of their days together. All of the hopes and promises and dreams from all of those other fireworks had reached their pinnacle right in that perfect moment. Their hearts were bursting with love and they were excited for what the new year would bring. What they both knew, without any doubt, was that they would face it together, side by side, helping each other up when they stumbled.


End file.
